The Celtics went 62-20 last year and somehow it seemed like a disappointing year. The Celtics lost to the Orlando Magic in seven games in the 2nd round last season. The Magic just matched up very well against Boston last year, but the Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels. Are the veterans on the Celtics a year wiser or just another year older? They are getting up there in age, can they win another title before the window closes? Here is the 2009-10 NBA Preview for the Boston Celtics.
Additions/Subtractions – Can I add Kevin Garnett in this section, because without him, the Celtics were just a good team, not great. If he isn’t 100% from the knee injury, they have insurance in the form of Rasheed Wallace. He didn’t have a good season last year, but with Sheed, he needs to be motivated and on a contending team for a team to get 100% effort. He will help this team immensely with or without a healthy Garnett. Another nice acquistion was the addition of Marquis Daniels. He had a very good season for the Pacers last year and he can score points when needed. Stephon Marbury and Leon Powe are the two main subtractions from last year’s team, but only Powe will be missed, but Wallace is an upgrade at that position.
2009-10 Expectations – It’s a championship or bust for Boston this year. This team doesn’t have many more seasons with this current squad and really has to go all-in or this season. Kevin Garnett is hungry again and he has a chip on his shoulder. He has to prove that he is still dominant and he is 100% healthy, so expect maximum effort from KG this year. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen fell apart toward the end of last season. Age could be creeping up on them, but Rajon Rondo picked up the slack and had the best stretch of his career during the playoffs last season. This team is loaded with veterans wanting to win a ring, if they can keep Wallace in check and keep the technicals down, Boston could be the team to beat in the East or the entire NBA.
2009-10 Prediction – Kevin Garnett may not have a great 1st half this season, but by the 2nd half, he should be 100% and putting up ridiculous numbers. I worry about Pierce and Allen, but with the addition of Wallace and Daniels, they can spell them so the minutes don’t creep up on them by the end of the year. This team is going to go far this year, they have more length at the SF and SG positions to compete with Orlando and they seem to have Cleveland’s number.
2009-10 Win Total – 64-18
