< Back to Front Page Text size – +

What ifs

Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Jesse Nunes October 4, 2006 10:30 PM

It's been a long time since the last real action we've had concerning the Celtics -- the interminable stretch between draft night on June 28 and the start of training camp this week. And even though I haven't posted in quite a while (big thanks to Gary for keeping this blog going during the lean days), I have spent a good amount of the past 3-plus months waiting for any news regarding the roster and potential trades, and an equal amount contemplating the current state of the C's roster.

And where has it all gotten me? Well, nowhere. To be honest, I'm just as confused as I was the day after draft night. Maybe even more. No real moves have been made that will significantly impact the 2006-07 roster since that late June night (aside from the release of the Orien Express, as well as the conditional release of about 120 quarter-pounders from Al Jefferson's body). But issues such as the composition of the starting five and key reserves, and just how good this team will be, seem just as muddled to me as they appeared back then.

That's because it's a roster full of "ifs."

If Al is finally healthy and committed to defense and conditioning.

If all Sebastian Telfair needed was just a change of scenery, and an offense committed to "up tempo" play.

If Wally Szczerbiak's knee doesn’t give him problems all season.

If Tony Allen puts his legal and health problems behind him.

If Kendrick Perkins can learn to stay out of foul trouble and become a true inside presence.

If Theo Ratliff can be even a fraction of his all-NBA defensive self.

If Tubby Smith's slow-down Kentucky offense was all that was really holding Rajon Rondo back.

If Delonte West’s back gets healthy and he can make it through an entire season unscathed.

If Gerald Green can give the C's meaningful minutes without looking lost on every possession.

If Doc Rivers can improve his end-of-game play calling.

If Paul Pierce remains happy and committed to the Green.

The ifs drive me crazy. I much prefer shoulds. Or even more so, wills. But no, we're stuck with a barrel full of ifs with no real inclination of what to really expect.

I mean, 18 players under contract? Michael Olowokandi showing up at training camp? It's like the C's are intentionally trying to confuse me at this point. Now I'm half expecting an announcement they’ve fired Lucky and hired Borat. Actually, that would be awesome.

Anyway, with October finally here, and all the players getting back into the basketball groove down in Waltham, we should start to see answers become a little bit clearer. Until then, we can only guess.

First on the docket -- who’s the starting point guard? Ask me a month ago and I would've said West starts at the 1 and switches to the 2 for limited stretches, but now I'm not so sure. There's going to be a lot of attention and pressure on Telfair to take those starting point guard responsibilities, otherwise the C's summer moves look kind of silly. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on the Delonte "sixth man" role.

Starting center? I still believe Ratliff (if healthy -- see, there it is again), will be the starting big man with Perk getting significant minutes off the bench. At least to start the season.

Starting power forward? I love Ryan Gomes, I really do. And I think he’s a quality basketball player. Other than Pierce, he's probably the only guy who could play both forward positions, which makes him a valuable asset. Not to mention his basketball IQ. In fact, if I were to buy a C's jersey tomorrow, Gomes would be the one (OK, also partly because we both have Portuguese last names). But I still see him as a key reserve on the team, an energy bench guy, and I still fell if the C’s are going to make strides this year and grab a playoff berth, they need Jefferson to shed the if and become a solid starting NBA power forward. I have said before and I’ll say again how Al's development this year will have major implications on the short and long term success of this team.

Wally and Pierce are locks for the starters at the wings, but how their minutes shake out with the other slashers on the team remains to be seen. Allen showed me more in the last month of last season than anybody else, and deserves playing time. As Gary pointed out, especially if Delonte sees time at the 2, this most likely leaves Green as the odd man out.

But hey, who knows? If Gerald is really motivated to improve his game and makes major strides this year, anything's possible. But without a trade or injury of some kind, there's going to be a major playing-time logjam there.

All this speculation is frustrating. Until we see these guys on the court, how they work together, and what kind of progress they really made over the summer, we can’t really be sure of anything. But the first preseason game is less than a week away, and opening night at the Garden comes in a little less than a month. The answers are coming. I hope sooner rather than later.