Boston Celtics Complete Season Preview and Primer for 2011-2012 NBA Season

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen know this year may be that one final shot to win an NBA championship, as these Boston Celtics are as determined as they have been since the arrival of the Big Three.

The Boston Celtics enter the 2011-2012 season a solid 2-0 this preseason with two wins over the Toronto Raptors. The team undoubtedly looks to carry the momentum with them to start the regular season.

A jam-packed offseason across the league has hurt this Boston Celtics team big time. Teams were quick to act and jump on free agents, while the Celtics were not. Add to the mix the loss of Jeff Green for the entirety of the season, and there are several obstacles this team will have to overcome in spite of the talent in the starting rotation.

Just days away from the start of the regular season, this is the season preview for this Boston Celtics team which includes what to expect from this team as well as who will be key in a Celtics run at an NBA title.

Expected Starting Lineup

Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics have arguably the most talented, experienced starting five in the NBA. This is what the starting five is currently projected to be:

PG—Rajon Rondo

SG—Ray Allen

SF—Paul Pierce

PF—Kevin Garnett

C—Jermaine O'Neal

Talk about an exciting group of talent in the starting rotation.

This starting five will be a special one to watch, as they are the only starting five in the league that features four NBA All-Stars. Rondo is an up and coming point guard coming off career-high numbers last season. Meanwhile, Garnett, Pierce and Allen have improved their numbers over the last two seasons as well.

Jermaine O'Neal is the big question mark in the lineup. O'Neal will likely play no more than 18-22 minutes per game with players like Brandon Bass, JaJuan Johnson and new-addition Chris Wilcox all available in the front court rotation. 

Brandon Bass' Production Will Be Vital

He's big, he's mean and he's exactly what this Celtics ball club needs.

Watch out for this guy.

The Boston Celtics recently acquired power forward Brandon Bass via trade with the Orlando Magic.

The team would deal forward Glen Davis in the process, a player that had been failing to produce for the team last season despite having several solid seasons with the team.

Bass' numbers are nowhere near off the charts. He is a player that has been unable to acquire a starter's minutes nor the right system to optimize his skill set.

Bass is a player of tremendous size that will make opposing offensive players work to score the basketball on the defensive end. His low-post defense is arguably his best asset, which only adds more fuel to the fire that is the No. 1 defense in the NBA.

Offensively, Bass is a force to reckon with when in the game. He is a big body that likes to clean up around the rim and put home missed shots. A player like this will be big for the Cs going forward, as he will give the team positive minutes while Garnett or O'Neal are on the bench.

In the two preseason games, the Celtics are an impressive plus-16 when Bass is on the court. A player as athletic and physical as Bass helps the Celtics exponentially in the sense that he will always be giving teams headaches in the key, whether it's on offense or defense.

Player Under the Spotlight: PG Rajon Rondo

An up and coming point guard posted career-high numbers last season and is on the radar?

Go figure.

Boston Celtics starting point guard Rajon Rondo has been the point of emphasis this season. Danny Ainge and the organization were quick to target veteran All-Star Chris Paul shortly following the end to the NBA lockout.

Despite putting up a career-high 11.2 assists last season—a mark which ranked No. 2 in the NBA behind Steve Nash—Rondo now has to continue to prove he is in fact the point guard of this team's future.

This preseason, Rondo has been doing just that.

In his last outing against the Raptors, Rondo posted 17 points, six assists, two steals and shot the ball six-of-10 in just 23 minutes of play against a solid defensive backcourt in point guard Jerryd Bayless and shooting guard DeMar DeRozan.

Rondo is a vital part of this Celtics team. He must help a veteran ball club push through and compete for an NBA championship. His ability to find open players and run the offense with much fluidity will be essential this season for the Cs.

Expect big-time numbers from No. 9 this season, as Rondo will be on a mission to prove his worth to both the Celtics and the rest of the NBA this season.

Holes Left to Fill in the Frontcourt

Just look at him, he's begging for a helping hand.

Jermaine O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, JaJuan Johnson and Chris Wilcox are currently the five main players in the Celtics frontcourt rotation.

Losing Jeff Green was as big a blow as any for the Celtics heading into the regular season, as his talent and athleticism are now unavailable for the entirety of the season.

Despite boasting the talents of Garnett,Pierce and Bass, there are still a plethora of holes in this lineup. O'Neal is aging quick, as he has been slowly fading as a player in the league.

Then there is inexperience with both Johnson and Wilcox, although Wilcox is older and has had time playing in the league. Wilcox is easily the least skilled of any of the big men in the rotation, which will give this Celtics trouble as he is the second-best center this team has to offer.

Ainge needs to act quickly, as things could get ugly quickly for this Celtics team without adjustments. The team will need Johnson and Wilcox to contribute positive minutes from the get-go this season.

Are the Big Three Enough for an NBA Title?

In 2008, there was no question about it. In 2012, it becomes a significant question.

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are hoping to lead this relatively young and new-look team to an NBA championship in what could well be the last season these three take the court together.

Coming off a season that featured career-high numbers for both Allen in three-point percentage and Pierce in field-goal percentage, these are players that are certainly not losing their ability to produce.

The production is still there, and will need to be there in what will be a short, jam-packed season that will test the toughness of this team and every team in the league.

They might be aging, but the production has only gone up, as this is an especially promising sign for the Boston Celtics team going forward. Look for these three to only pick up their production this season, knowing it might only be their one last shot at an NBA championship.

How Will the Team Finish This Season?

In a division with up and coming teams in the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and even the New Jersey Nets, the Celtics have all the more pressure to perform this season.

Yet, when it's all said and done, there is no doubting that this is the slightly more talented team in the division.

Four All-Stars in the starting five is what the Celtics will ride on, as the group is inexperienced and young and will need the leadership of these four.

Expect the Celtics to finish the regular season as a top-four seed in the East, yet whether or not they will be able to compete with the Miami Heat or top-notch teams in the West is a different story.

The Celtics should be an Eastern Conference Finals participant, but more than that is difficult to fathom with the group of guys this team features this season.

It will be interesting to see what this team is made of in what will likely be the last year of the Big Three era in Boston.