Expert NBA Picks: 2009 Boston Celtics Season Preview

With the NBA season quickly approaching, the Boston Celtics fans are ready for another year. While the Celtics won the title two seasons ago, they were mostly an afterthought last season with Kevin Garnett missing significant time due to injury.

He was not available during the playoffs and the Celtics could not get over the hump without him. However, this year he is back and the Beantown faithful are ready for another run at the championship.

So what should you expect out of the Celtics this season? If you’re looking for free NBA basketball picks , expect the Celtics to compete with the Cavs for the Eastern Conference title and possibly the NBA Championship.

The Good News

The good news is more about who they have back than who they picked up. Garnett is one of the greatest players of all time and his health will be critical to their success. Without him last year, they faltered and his presence was definitely missed when it counted.

In addition to KG, they also bring back Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The “Boston Three Party” will be ready to roll at the beginning of the season and should get off to a big start. No one can match the shooting touch of Ray Allen consistently and Paul Pierce is an unbelievably tough scorer.

Expect the "Big Three" to lead the team to a lot of wins this year. When you throw in Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, you’ve got the makings of the best starting five in the league.

In addition to the returning players, they also brought in Rasheed Wallace as a free agent. His addition will add a lot of experience and skill to the power forward position.

Trying to take it in the lane against Wallace, Garnett, and Perkins is not a welcome sight for opposing teams. While Rasheed is getting up there in age, he should still be able to contribute at least for this year.

The Bad News

The bad news with this team has nothing to do with the skill level of the players. However, it has everything to do with the age of those same players.

They have some of the most talented players in the league, but all of them are getting up there in age. Last season was ruined by the injury of Garnett, and who is to say whether or not it will happen again this year.

Injuries are a hard thing to predict, as they can happen to any player at any time. However, when you combine several older players like Garnett, Allen, Wallace, and Pierce, you are more likely to experience injuries. If one or two of them were to go down, they will not be the best team in the league at that point.

This is why many people feel that Cleveland is in a better position to compete all season as most of their team is still young.

Outlook

Most expert NBA predictions have the Celtics up there with the Cavs and Magic in the Eastern Conference. If they can stay healthy, there is no reason that they should not win the East. If they suffer some injuries as the 82 game schedule drags on, expect one of the other teams to take over their top spot.

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NBA Picks this season.