In my opinion, a lot is riding on how well Jeff Green performs this year. The only way i see us beating the Heat,is if Green really steps it up and has the kind of year i think he is capable of having. He has to be able to at least slow James down and make him work harder to score. He also needs to score for the C's to have a shot at the Heat. We know what Rondo, KG and Pierce brings every night, we know we have a much better bench than last year, Bradley hopefully will be 100% this time around, but i just think for us to get to the finals Jeff Green has to have a better than good season!!

I do agree JG needs to bring it this season for sure. The C's have a very good team and the bench is the key this year. We have a few hopefuls that with some time can bring something to the C's to make us even better. Me as a Celtic fan this year has a ton of potential and I am excited to see the season get started. The trip to Europe is good to get everyone on the same page and come out as a strong team this season.

I am torn between Rondo and KG. Both of these guys bring things to the team that are not replaceable.

However if I had to choose one, I would choose KG! From what I have read, he holds team mates accountabel during games, practices, and workouts. A player like this helps his team mates get better. He also sets the tone on defense and is extremely unselfish on offense (but stilll gets his)!

In my opinion KG is the most important player (Rondo is a close second).

KG is the most important player hands down....

KG and Rondo are constants. Without those two, the Celts are just a lottery team. 

But Jeff Green is the difference maker. He's the player that will make the Celtics special. 

Paul Pierce is already in the decline, just like Kobe.

If Jeff Green provides the Celtics with scoring, athleticism, and some defense, the Celts will be right back in the east finals.

What the Celts can't afford to have is a passive Jeff Green who's more Derrick McKey than James Worthy. I know JG is not going to be James Worthy, but he can come close.

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I think that Garnett is the most important player.  He may not score as much as he did toward the end of last season as his minutes need to be decreased during the regular season, but he is still the heart and soul of this team and its defensive leader.

The stats last year between when he was on the floor and when he was not one the floor were shocking.  But, he needs to get fewer minutes during the regular season so that he can play those 35-38 minutes per game in the playoffs.  He also cannot suffer a major injury.

Rondo is the next most important player, but I feel that he can be replaced for short periods of time by other players on the team and there are always point guards available if he has to miss long stretches of time.

On the positive side, I would also like to see Green make a major contribution this season.  Hopefully, he stays healthy and is very productive.  Seems like a great young guy who might be ready to have a break out season.

Maybe i should have said Green was the defference maker. Rondo, Pierce and KG will keep us in the games with the Heat, but the way Jeff Green plays, will most likely be the defference in wheather we win or just continue to play close games and in the end lose to the Heat.

Kyceltic,

I agree with you in terms that JG is a deal maker/breaker. As I've mentioned elsewhere, if he plays worth of about 1/2 of his salary Celtics are one of the contender this year. If he plays worth 9M they are the favorite. All this, of course, if all other key players are healthy.

As for the most important player, there are 3 players equally fit this category: RR, PP, KG.

 

AK

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Rondo is our most important player

In response to Red-16Russ-11's comment:

Rondo, KG, and Pierce are a given.

If we play the Heat again in the playoffs this season, the Celts will still lose to the Heat. But if Jeff Green plays like an All-Star, the Celts will beat the Heat.

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In response to Red-16Russ-11's comment:

What I meant was, if we play the Heat again in the playoffs this season, without JG, the Celts would still lose.

We need JG to play like James Worthy. Not become James Worthy, just worthy of being compared to Worthy.

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In response to BloggetyBloop's comment:

Maybe the Celts are not going to win a championship this season. But what I'm saying is the Celtics will be a better team than the Lakers this season and for years to come.

Celtics have this:

 

Lakers have these:

 

 

Laker players and fans wanted Brian Shaw. But the owner wanted to show them all who's boss. Thanks Jimmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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In response to BloggetyBloop's comment:

You also forgot the basic fundamentals of basketball. First, basketball is a team sport, only 1 super team in the last 2 decades won a championship. That team is the Celtics of 2008. It doesn't mean that if you have lots of talent you're already a champion. Ask Shaq, Kobe, Malone, and Payton. Or Olajuwon, Barkley, and Drexler.

Second, only Dwight Howard is young among the Laker star players you mentioned. Remember, basketball 101 - basketball is a game for young men. Your Lakers are not only old, they're the OLDEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE, BAR NONE!!!

Don't worry, less than 2 months from now, sometime in December, you'll be the one telling me the Lakers are a crappy team.

Who would chase the OKC fastbreak? Or who would go after the Wolves fastbreak?

You really expect a 38-year old Nash, with a bad back, or a 34-year old Kobe chasing the likes of Westbrook or Rubio? 

Seriously, Gasol, Peace, Kobe, and Nash are not going to run up and down the court like they were still 25 years old. In other words, your Lakers have no transition defense. 

Also, the Lakers have no spot up shooters to complement the Laker bigs. The Lakers are going to be very predictable on offense.

In the end the Lakers are a crappy team. Not a weak team, just a crappy one.

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The HEAT made the Finals in 2010????  Gee, I thought it was BOS vs LAL!!!!

 

WRONG again, welcher!!!

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In response to BloggetyBloop's comment:

Wrong!

The Heat won a championship last season, it was their 2nd trip to the Finals since they became a super team. 

Is this the 2nd trip of Kobe, Nash, Howard, and Gasol to the Finals? Or this is the first time they played with each other?

Again, when Pierce, Ray, and KG played together for the first time, they won. That's the only time that a super team won during their first try. Get it?

The Laker players wanted Brian Shaw.

Jimmy, to show them all who's boss, hired a clown instead.

 

Didn't know, besides being a clown, that Mike Clown is also an NFL replacement official.

 

Even MJ couldn't stop laughing.

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