Celtics Rising: Good Times in the Kevin Garnett Era

ul Pierce. His arrival gave Pierce something he hasn’t have since graduating from Kansas:

Hope.

He’s not hoping to sneak into the playoffs and maybe win a series, as he did when Antoine Walker was his running mate.

He’s not hoping to lose enough games to score a high draft pick, as he did last season.

He’s legitimately hoping—even expecting—to win an NBA championship.

So far this season, that hope and expectation have brought out the best in Pierce.

What's more, Garnett’s presence has turned Boston into a desirable free-agent destination.

When the Celtics signed Kevin Garnett, their stock went up in the eyes of all potential free agents. There is no Eddie House, James Posey, or even Scot Pollard without Kevin Garnett.

They’re not signing here for the money. They're certainly not signing here for the weather. And trust me—they're definitely not signing here for the chance to play for Doc Rivers.

They’re signing here to win. They think they can win because of Kevin Garnett.

Speaking of Doc Rivers, Garnett has proven to be a miracle-worker insofar as he's turned Doc into a serviceable head coach (a young K.C. Jones, maybe).

Kevin Garnett listens to Doc...and so does the rest of the team.

Kevin Garnett plays defense...and so does the rest of the team.

It’s a lot easier to design a game-ending play (and I mean other than Doc's patented "have Pierce hold the ball until there are four seconds left then shoot an off-balance fadeaway with three guys in his face") when you have two legit crunch-time shooters (Pierce and Allen) facing man-to-man coverage because the opposing defense needs to keep bodies on Garnett underneath.

Pierce and Allen aren’t getting open looks in crunch time if Kendrick Perkins is the inside threat (and I use the term “threat” loosely).

And don’t underestimate the impact Garnett has had on the Celtics’ young bigs. Perkins has turned into a defensive force and a serviceable offensive option off the Garnett double-team. Glen Davis has become the second best rebounder on the team—and maybe the best offensive rebounder.

Defensively, having Perkins and Garnett in the middle makes it nearly impossible to push this Celtics team around. Posey, meanwhile, is a tremendous perimeter defender, and Rajon Rondo might have the fastest hands and feet I’ve ever seen on a point guard.

Of course, the Celtics aren’t perfect. They lack depth at the point guard position, and could use another big man who can score. Ray Allen has some injury concerns, while Tony Allen is a nightmare handling the ball in the backcourt.

However, in this NBA, Kevin Garnett, a pretty good bench, and a motivated Paul Pierce may be enough to hoist another championship banner at the fake Garden.

So sit back and enjoy the Kevin Garnett era. God knows I am.

I’m SeanMC.

http://bostonsportsrants.blogspot.com/

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