CAN STARBURY HELP THE CELTICS?

After winning 19 straight games, something happened to the Boston Celtics. They lost three of four on the west coast, and then were embarrassed at Madison Square Garden by the lowly New York Knicks.

With the team struggling, rumors began to swirl about bringing in Knicks malcontent Stephon Marbury as a backup point guard. Marbury, who is still under contract in New York, would bring veteran depth to Boston's struggling bench, and would allow Eddie House to play his natural position, getting open and shooting the rock. But Starbury should only don the green and white if he can accept a few basic conditions:

• Rajon Rondo is the starter, no questions asked. Marbury will be his backup, but Rondo will continue to start and get the crunch time minutes.
• Steph will make next to nothing for the rest of the season. The Celtics shouldn't compromise any cap space on him, and he will only be signed for the rest of this year. Besides, it's not like he needs the money, New York is paying him $22 million not to play for them this season.
  
• One strike and you're out. The Celtics have really good chemistry, which is one major reason they are currently the defending champs. Chemistry has never really been what Marbury is known for, so any kind of pouting should end this experiment quickly.
  

If Starbury can abide by these three rules, he can be a huge asset to a struggling Boston team. And if not, there's a nice seat for him on the bench at MSG.

3 GREAT SPORTS MEMORIES FROM 2008

With under a week left in the year 2008, now seems like the perfect time to recap one of the greatest years in Boston sports history. 2008 was chock full of great games, fantastic finishes, and entertainment abound from the Pats, Bruins, Sox, and Celts. So, for our 100th post, let's take a quick look back at 2008 with three great memories from the year in sports.

3. BRUINS 5 CANADIENS 4: GAME 6 (April 19, 2008)
The Bruins struggled mightily at times to score goals in 2008. So, with their season on the line in game 6 against Montreal, all seemed lost. The eighth seeded Bruins, who weren't given much of a shot to beat their long time rivals, trailed the game 1-0 after one period of play. Phil Kessel tied the game under two minutes into the second frame, but Montreal converted again and led 2-1 after two. The third period of game six was one of the most spectacular periods ever. Boston rookie Vladimir Sobotka tied the game at two, but then Francis Bouillion gave the Habs a 3-2 lead with 9:56 to go. Everybody was shocked when the lightly regarded B's came back for the third time, when Milan Lucic potted a wrister two minutes later to knot the score at three. Phil Kessel gave Boston a brief lead in the final five minutes, but Christopher Higgins scored for Montreal just 11 seconds later. Finally, with just 2:37 left on the clock, David Krejci found Marco Sturm for the game winner; Bruins 5, Canadiens 4. This game makes the cut because the Bruins offense was so weak all year, and they had lost eight straight to Montreal entering the series. Nobody expected this team to come back from one goal deficits three different times against a team nobody thought they could compete with. Outstanding game.

2. RED SOX 8 RAYS 7: ALCS GAME 5 (October 16, 2008)
The Sox looked finished against the upstart Rays in game 5 of the American League Championship Series back in mid-October. After BJ Upton doubled in two runs in the top of the seventh, the Rays led 7-0 in the game, and 3-1 in the series. Boston, baseball's best home team in the regular season, had been shelled at Fenway by Tampa Bay in the ALCS, and at this point, had been outscored 29-5 in two and a half games there in the series. But, when all seemed lost, the Sox dug in. AL MVP Dustin Pedroia had an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to make it 7-1. The next batter was David Ortiz, who crushed a Grant Balfour offering over Pesky's Pole in right, 7-4. In the eighth, JD Drew rocked a Dan Wheeler heater over the bullpen with Jason Bay on base, pulling Boston to within one at 7-6. With two men out, Mark Kotsay hit a wall ball double to left center, and then Coco Crisp singled to right to tie the game at seven. Justin Masterson got out of a jam in the top of the ninth, and then Drew hit a screamer just over the glove of Gabe Gross to score Kevin Youkilis and win the game for the Red Sox, 8-7. Trailing by seven runs with seven outs left, Boston stunned Tampa Bay with the greatest comeback since 1929.

1. CELTICS 131 LAKERS 92: NBA FINALS GAME 6 (June 17, 2008)
Was there any doubt what number one would be? Heading into the NBA Finals last June, nine of the 10 "experts" on ESPN.com said the Lakers would hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. Oops. After a huge comeback by Boston at Staples Center in game four, the Lakers narrowly held on for a five point win in game five, sending the series back to Boston with the Celtics leading 3-2. But in this one, LA had no shot. Ray Allen finally found his stroke, and second year point guard Rajon Rondo played the game of his life, with 21 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and six steals in 32 minutes for Boston. The 131-92 drubbing by the Celtics clinched the club's record 17th title and first in 22 years, and capped off the biggest one season turnaround in NBA history. Allen, KG, and NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce finally captured that elusive first ring, and the Green "Beat LA" once again. Just remember, "anything is possible!"

Hopefully, 2009 will bring some great memories as well. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

A WILD AND WACKY SEASON IN THE NBA

The Celtics are going for win number 17 in a row tonight at TD Banknorth Garden against the Bulls. It has been an unbelievable season thus far for the defending champs, who are off to one of the best starts of all time, and already have an 11 game lead in the Atlantic Division. The C's though, are not the only reason why this has been a wild and wacky season in the NBA. Here are a few thoughts about the first 30 games or so in the National Basketball Association.

First off, it's interesting how good the good teams are and how bad the bad teams are. Heading into tonight's action, Boston is 24-2, Cleveland is 21-4, and the Los Angeles Lakers are 21-3. All three of them are virtually unbeatable at home, combining for a 41-2 mark on their respective home courts. The Cavaliers are the only remaining team that is undefeated at home, and have outscored opponents by 13.4 points per game overall, the largest margin in the NBA. Orlando, at 20-6, isn't really even in the discussion of the best teams in the league.

On the other hand, the league does have a few really terrible teams. The Thunder, in the team's first season since moving from Seattle, are just 2-24 and have lost eight straight. And they might not even be the worst team in their own division! Minnesota is just ahead of them at this point at 4-21. The Timberwolves have lost 11 in a row, and haven't won a game since they beat (who else?) Oklahoma City on the day after Thanksgiving. As a team, Minnesota has the lowest field goal percentage in the league, and the lowest adjusted field goal percentage, which measures the efficiency of their shots.

And of course, you can't talk about the truly bad teams without a mention of the Washington Wizards. Without Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards have only four wins, and never really play defense. At all. Ever. Of course, there is something else that Washington, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City have in common. All three have fired their coaches.

In fact, they are three of the six teams that have decided to make a coaching change, joining Sacramento, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Six, as you may have guessed, is the most coaches fired before Christmas in the history of the NBA. Teams appear to be giving less and less time for coaches to succeed, and, at least in some cases, are using more of a "what have you done for me lately" approach. Eddie Jordan led the Wizards to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, Sam Mitchell of the Raptors was only two years removed from winning the NBA Coach of the Year award, and Mo Cheeks signed an extension with Philadelphia last season! Six coaches have lost their jobs so far, but you can bet more will be forced out before season's end.

Other noteworthy story lines include the emergence of the Nuggets with new point guard Chauncey Billups and the struggles of the Pistons with Allen Iverson, and the unreal Stephon Marbury saga in New York. All of these reasons, and more, make this one of the craziest NBA seasons in quite some time.

TOP 5 TEAMS IN NBA HISTORY

With the Celtics continuing their torrid pace with a 100-91 win over the Utah Jazz last night, they now stand at 23-2, which is tied for the best 25 game start of all time. Boston has won 15 straight games, and is looking even more dominant than last year's 66-16 team that won the NBA Championship.

So in looking at these Celtics, as well as the 20-3 Lakers and the 20-4 Cavaliers, let's take a look at the best five teams in NBA history. Will any of these three make future lists like this? We'll just have to wait and see.

5. 1988-89 DETROIT PISTONS (63-19)
This Pistons of 88-89 were one of the best defensive teams of all-time. Led by Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, along with Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, and Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson, Detroit's regular season dominance was nothing compared to their post season success. The team went 15-2 in the playoffs, and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, 4-0.

4. 1982-83 PHILADELPHIA 76'ERS (65-17)
The Sixers "Fo Fo Fo" team, as named by Moses Malone for the number of games it would take Philly to win each series (he was almost right, too) was spectacular. In Malone's first season with the 76'ers, he led the team with 24.5 points and 15.6 rebounds per game. His playoff numbers were slightly better (26.0 points and 15.8 rebounds) and Philadelphia cruised to a 12-1 post season mark. Their .923 playoff winning percentage is the highest all time.

3. 1985-86 BOSTON CELTICS (67-15)
The '85-'86 team was probably the best of the original "Big Three" era in Boston. Bird, McHale, and Parish were joined by Dennis Johnson, Bill Walton, and Danny Ainge, and were virtually unbeatable at home. The club posted a 40-1 record at Boston Garden, the best home record ever. Upset by last season's NBA Finals loss to the Lakers, the Green came back strong, and beat the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.

2. 1971-72 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (69-13)
These Lakers were virtual opposites of the Celtics team above, as they posted the best regular season road record the game has ever seen (31-7). At one point, they won 16 straight road games, and 33 straight games overall, both NBA records. Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain brought the Lakers their first championship of the Los Angeles era, and broke the NBA record for most wins (since broken) in a single season.

1. 1995-96 CHICAGO BULLS (72-10)
Who else? The best team of all time was led by the best player of all time, Michael Jordan. In MJ's first full season since returning from retirement, he led the Bulls to a scorching hot start, beginning the season 41-3. Chicago never let up, as it's 72 wins remains the most regular season wins ever. Including the playoffs, these Bulls went 87-13, by far the best mark ever. His Airness, then 32, started all 82 games and averaged over 30 points per. The 1995-96 Bulls truly are the greatest team in NBA history.

Will this year's Celtics (or Lakers or Cavs for that matter) be able to crack the top five when all is said and done? No one knows. What we do know is it will take something truly extraordinary from KG and company to even be considered the best Celtics team ever. Through 25 games though, they are certainly off to a good start.

Disagree with this list? Should we have included the '86-'87 Lakers, '69-'70 Knicks, or '64-'65 Celtics? Let us know! Leave a comment, or email us at wntnsports@gmail.com.

RONDO'S IMPROVEMENT KEY FOR C'S

Last night, the Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 114-96 at TD Banknorth Garden, and are now 18-2 for the second straight year. After a closely contested first half, Boston crushed the Pacers in the final 24 minutes, outscoring them 57-45 in the last two quarters.

This Celtics team is just as good as last year's group, which of course raised banner number 17 last June. While yes, James Posey, one of the team's best defenders, is gone, Rajon Rondo has improved so much it's scary. Now don't get me wrong, Rondo was good last season. Without his great play, who knows what would have happened? But this year he has truly been special. Against the Pacers last night, Rondo became only the third player in NBA history with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 17 assists, and 3 steals in a game (Magic Johnson and Fat Lever were the others).

Rondo's oft-criticized shooting has improved a ton as well. He's draining 51.3% of his shots this season, up from 49.2% a year ago. He has also been slightly better from three (he doesn't take many), and has been better from the charity stripe as well.

If the Celtics are as good as last season's team--and by all accounts they are, Rondo's contribution has to be one of the major reasons why. Hopefully he will continue his stellar play and help the team build off it's 18-2 start.

CELTICS REMAIN TEAM TO BEAT IN THE EAST

Last night's dominating performance by the Celtics reminded everyone in the NBA world just how good the defending champs are. While it was the C's second game against Eastern Conference foe Detroit since the Pistons acquired eight time All-Star Allen Iverson, it was the first in which the Pistons were truly playing well as a team. The chemistry issues that come with bringing a new starter in hampered Detroit in their 88-76 loss to the Celtics at the Palace on November 9.

The Pistons were finally playing well as a cohesive unit, having won four of five- including a win at Staples Center against the Western Conference champion Lakers (LA's first loss of the season), and a home win against LeBron James and Central Division rival Cleveland.

Boston came into the game fatigued, having just finished off a greuling stretch of eight games in 11 days, of which they won seven. They won a hard fought overtime game in Milwaukee in which the Bucks made up a 13 point deficit in the fourth quarter, and then a chippy affair with the Knicks without Kevin Garnett, who was suspended for a slap to the face of Bucks center Andrew Bogut.

Everything early seemed to suggest it would be a long night for the Celtics. Detroit came out hot and Boston was flat, as the Pistons flew out to a 13-2 advantage. But that was it for Michael Curry's club, as the defending champs took over from there. Within moments the score was tied at 14, and the first quarter ended with the teams knotted up at 21.

The second quarter was all Celtics, who took a nine point lead into halftime. Boston outscored Detroit 56-36 in the second and third quarters combined, ensuring this one was a laugher going into the final frame.

Rajon Rondo outplayed Iverson, and despite a low scoring night from each member of the Big Three (Garnett had 15 points, Pierce had 9, and Allen 12), Boston won easily. Rondo finished with 18 points and 8 assists and, more importantly for the Celtics, Doc Rivers was able to ensure that nobody played more than 30 minutes.

This was a statement game for the Celtics, who reminded everyone that they remain the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Dominating defense (they have held Detroit to their two lowest point totals this season) and a potent offense make the 11-2 Celtics favorites to at least reach the NBA Finals once again this June.

PUNISHMENT FAIR FOR KG, SHAQ

John Karalis of the Boston Examiner, and founder of the Celtics blog Red's Army recently wrote an article about Kevin Garnett's suspension as being unwarranted for his slap of Andrew Bogut last week. While Karalis does make some good points about Pat Riley and the Heat's thuggish basketball in the 1990's forcing the NBA into the current flagrant foul system, he is wrong about KG.

KG was clearly hit on the play and then reached out and gave Bogut a little slap in the face. Saying that Garnett wasn't looking at Bogut and therefore didn't mean to hit him is ridiculous. Watch his face after he reaches out at the Bucks center, he stares him down. Looks like he meant to hit him to me. While Garnett may have "just been hit twice", that isn't an excuse to respond. In hockey players who retaliate often get penalties for the response rather than the original hit. Garnett should have kept his cool and then he'd be playing tonight against the Knicks.

Furthermore, the article argues that Shaq shouldn't have been ejected for his hit on Rodney Stuckey because it was accidental. I agree that Shaq shouldn't be suspended or anything like that, but the ejection was warranted. It was similar to Marvin Williams' hit on Rajon Rondo in the playoffs last year, and Williams was ejected from that--a decisive playoff game. O'Neal clearly didn't mean to hit Stuckey in that fashion, but accident or not Shaq deserved to go.

MBAH A MOUTE IS NBA'S MOST IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE

Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, OJ Mayo, Kevin Love. Picking any of these players to win Rookie of the Year would seem fairly obvious. Of course everyone expects tons of points from Mayo, playing with the lowly Grizzlies, or Love putting up great stats on a bad Timberwolves team. But who would have thought that in a draft class this loaded, the most impressive rookie would be a second round pick who was far from the best player on his college team?

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, second round pick (37th overall) of the Milwaukee Bucks has been the most important rookie to his team so far this season. Mbah a Moute, a three year starter for UCLA, was the first player since current NBA teammate Charlie Bell to start in three straight Final Fours. The 6-8 forward from Cameroon was the 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, and hit the winning shot in a comeback victory for UCLA over Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen. So his success hasn't exactly come out of thin air. But in a draft class this stacked, few would have honestly believed Luc Richard Mbah a Moute would be able to help the Bucks so greatly.

In 11 games for Milwaukee, Mbah a Moute has three starts and is averaging 10.6 points per game. He is playing 30.4 minutes per night, and has been spectacular on the glass, pulling down 7.5 boards per game. On Friday night, Mbah a Moute scored 19 points and had 17 rebounds in the Bucks 101-96 win in Memphis. 10 of those 17 boards, by the way, came on the offensive end. Last night, with Milwaukee trailing 71-59 after three quarters to the World Champions, Mbah a Moute helped propel the Bucks to a huge fourth quarter and forced overtime against the Celts. The Cameroonian forward had 10 of his 14 points in that period, including a monster dunk (plus the foul) with 2:58 left that gave Milwaukee a one point lead. While the Bucks did eventually lose the game, it wouldn't have been close without the efforts of the rookie.

In addition to his hoops prowess, Mbah a Moute is a prince in the village of Bia Messe, Cameroon, where he is originally from. His father, Camille Moute a Bidias, is the chief of the village and is a high ranking government official, making the Bucks rookie nothing short of royalty. With Mbah a Moute's help, the Bucks were oh so close to knocking off the kings of the NBA.

5 REASONS THE CELTICS CAN REPEAT

Paul Pierce turned his back to the hoop and jogged back down court, joyously yelling and skipping in the air. The Celtics captain and reigning NBA Finals MVP had just hit a beautiful fallaway jumper over Al Horford to give Boston a 103-102 lead with half a second left. The C's did of course hold on to win by that score, knocking off the pesky Hawks and handing them their first L of the season.

Last nights Celtics game demonstrated the passion and desire to win that everybody knows this C's club has. The Garden was rocking like it was mid-June, and when Pierce hit the shot it nearly brought the house down. The building's atmosphere was tremendous, and the TD Banknorth Garden can be a damn near impossible place to play on the road in the playoffs. But what else makes this Celtics group so special? Here are five reasons that the Celtics have a shot to repeat as NBA Champions:

1. Defense
The Celtics defense last season was one of the best all-time. Despite losing James Posey in free agency to the New Orleans Hornets, Boston's defense should be at the top of the league again this year. Kevin Garnett is the perfect player to remind the team of it's defensive priorities. So far this year, the Celts have posted a Defensive Efficiency Rating of 92.1, second to only the undefeated Lakers (88.9). The C's are giving up a measly 88.4 points per game, again second only to the Lakers 86.7. And Boston is tops in the NBA in opponents field goal percentage (38.9%), meaning they force other teams to take difficult and oftentimes contested shots.

2. Desire
It's pretty clear from watching this team that complacency won't be a problem. Not only will the Big Three not let them relax, but the entire roster of players is up to the challenge of having the target on their back. Even early in the season when teams are looking to see exactly how they measure up to the rest of the field, the Celtics are all about picking up those W's. After a disappointing loss in Indiana last week, the C's rebounded well, posting big road wins against Western contender Houston and Eastern powerhouse Detroit. Then they came home and beat Atlantic division rival Toronto (despite a slow start), and the previously undefeated Hawks.

3. Scoring
The Celtics have been mediocre at best to start this season on the offensive end of the floor. So why will that help them raise banner number 18? Because at some point, they will hit their stride. So far, the Green are 21st in the NBA in points per game (94.4), 14th in field goal percentage (44.1), and second to last in three point percentage (27.1). That means a team with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Eddie House is struggling big time to hit shots from deep, yet they are 8-1 on the season.

4. Who's Gonna Stop Them?
Seriously. The East is no doubt more talented than last year, but which teams in the conference have a legitimate shot to deny the Celtics a chance at back to back titles? Detroit and Cleveland are the only two that really come to mind. Detroit could be shaky. They haven't really meshed since acquiring AI, and Rip Hamilton looks lost out there. While the (possible) return of Antonio McDyess will give their bench a huge lift, the lack of a true point guard could hurt them come June. Cleveland added Mo Williams to run the point, but he is really the only addition to the Cavs' rotation this season. On opening night, the Celtics knocked off Cleveland 90-85 in an emotional win at the Garden. The team received their rings from last season's run to the top, and Paul Pierce had tears in his eyes right up until tipoff. The team came out flat and had no flow offensively. And they won. Besides Detroit and Cleveland, no teams in the East are good enough to eliminate Boston. The Celtics essentially have a one in three shot to reach the NBA Finals once again.

5. Rest
Now in the second year of the Big Three, the Celtics know what it takes to win in the playoffs. Last year's team played the most post season games in NBA history. This time around, they will be even more ready in preparing for a playoff run. I expect the starters to play a little less close to the end of the regular season, and the team should be more willing to hold players out of the lineup just to be safe in resting various injuries and ailments throughout the year. One more year of experience means the Celtics know what they need to do to raise number 18 next year.

BOSTON: SPORTS CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES

Loserville. That was the nickname graciously given to Boston by sports fans across the country because of the Red Sox continued futility, the Celtics fall from grace, and the Patriots constant mediocrity. Since the start of the new millennium however, Boston teams have been able to shed that horrid title and create a new image for the local teams: Champions.

Since 2000, the Patriots have won three Super Bowls, beating the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Panthers in XXXVIII, and the Eagles in XXXIX. The long suffering Red Sox are now a semi-dynasty, reaching the playoffs in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008, and winning two World Series in that span. And while the turn of the century didn't change the Celtics fortunes, the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen made the Green NBA Champions once again.

Now of course, we have all four major sports teams in the hunt for post season berths. The Red Sox made the playoffs again this year, and were just one game short of reaching the Fall Classic for the second consecutive year. The Patriots are 6-3 and tied for first place in the AFC East despite the losses of Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, Adalius Thomas, and Rodney Harrison for the season. The Celtics are 8-1 and leading the Atlantic division again in 2008. Paul Pierce's fallaway at the buzzer lifted the C's to a 103-102 win over previously undefeated Atlanta last night at the Garden. And finally, the black sheep of the group, the Bruins are finally playing up to their potential and at 9-3-3, are tied with Buffalo for first in the Northeast division with 21 points.

Yes it is a great time to be a fan of Boston sports. Will it last? Of course not. Never does. So enjoy it while it lasts. Soon enough we may see that old moniker put to good use once again.

GP NEEDS SOME CHEESE WITH THAT WHINE

Former Sonics great Gary Payton had some ridiculous comments on a recent appearance on NBA-TV. Payton essentially asserts that Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo did not deserve a ring last season for Boston's run to a record 17th NBA title.

I don't know if "The Glove" is jealous that Rondo won a championship in just his second NBA season, or any other pre-existing feud between the two, but these comments are wrong and just plain stupid. Rondo started 77 games last season, scoring 10.6 points and dishing out 5.1 assists per game. Defensively, Rondo was stellar all year long. He was 10th in the NBA with 129 steals, and sixth in the league with 4.8 defensive win shares per game, and had a total defensive rating of 98.4, good for eighth in the NBA.

Payton, of course, is one of the greatest NBA point guards of all time. Other than his defensive abilities, he is perhaps best known for leading the Sonics to one NBA finals appearance, a loss in six games to MJ and the Bulls, and then bouncing around the NBA in search of a ring. GP finally did win the big one, as a backup with the 2006-07 Miami Heat. Ironically, Payton was not the starter for that Heat club (that was White Chocolate himself- Jason Williams), so when they finally did close the book on Dallas, he was probably on the bench, waving a towel.

C'S DEFENSE PICKING UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF

You have heard the expression by now, uttered during the NBA playoffs each and every year: Defense wins championships. The Celtics, led by Tom Thibodeau's tenacious tactics, proved the famous phrase true, and ensured pundits will continue saying it for generations to come.

The 2007-08 Celtics' championship capped off an amazing run, and of course, defense was the main reason why. Boston had one of the best team D's off all-time last season, and it was the team's defining characteristic that allowed them to raise banner number 17.

The team was able to retain Thibodeau this past offseason, and along with the intensity of KG and Co, the Celtics appear to be picking up right where they left off last June. In last night's 96-83 victory at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Boston's swarming D held the lowly Thunder in check. After a slow first quarter in which OKC took a 29-21 lead, the Celtics defensive intensity really picked up. The Thunder scored only 15 points in the second quarter, and just 11 in the third. Boston's transition defense was spectacular as well. While the C's were able to score twenty points off OKC turnovers, the Thunder only scored eight points off of 14 Boston TO's. When the Green got it going offensively at the start of the second quarter, their defense never let up. Oklahoma City went 1-17 to begin the second, and Boston pulled away from there.

The Celtics proved the old saying true last year, and are looking to do it again. If Boston can keep up the pressure at the defensive end of the floor, it is a phrase we will be hearing many times again this June.

AI TO DETROIT: CAP SPACE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

The Denver Nuggets traded guard Allen Iverson to the Pistons today for former Boston first round pick Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheick Samb. While Detroit probably won't be as formidable this season, the deal sets them up wonderfully for the future.

By shipping out the aging Billups and McDyess, the Pistons are drastically changing the roster on a team that has been in the Eastern Conference Finals every year since 2002. I assume they will be starting Iverson, Hamilton, Prince, Maxiell, and Wallace, and bringing in the talented, young duo of Rodney Stuckey and Amir Johnson in off the bench. Probably not as good as the team the Celts beat last June, right? But look past the 2008-09 season and the Pistons are set up for the long haul.
Iverson is set to make $20,840,625 in 2009, and is only signed through this season. That means Detroit, a contending team, will have something really only seen at the bottom of the standings: cap space. If they decide against re-signing volatile big man Rasheed Wallace, who is making nearly $14 million this season, the Pistons are looking at quite a spending spree. Looking at ESPN's list of potential free agents after the season, the Pistons should be all set. Maybe they will go for a player like Carlos Boozer. Maybe Shawn Marion. Somehow I don't see Ron Artest playing home games at the Palace though.

The smart money is to hold onto that space until 2010. That is when the cream of the crop free agents will be available. Unrestricted free agents will include Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Dwyane Wade, Michael Redd, Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire, Shaq, Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili, and Chris Bosh. Or they could go for restricted free agents Rudy Gay or Brandon Roy. Can you imagine a Pistons starting lineup of Rodney Stuckey, Dwyane Wade, Tayshaun Prince, Jason Maxiell, and Amare Stoudemire? Scary.

For the Celtics, it really isn't that big of a deal. By that time, the Big Three will be winding down, and the C's will (hopefully) have money to spend as well. I really like this trade for the Pistons because they will be able to sign great free agents in the future. I like it for the Celtics because it worsens the Pistons for this season. The Celtics time is now.

NBA PREDICTIONS FOR 2008-09

Since just about every writer out there is making some predictions for the upcoming NBA season, I think it's time I made mine. If you listened to the show this past week, I made some picks for who would make the playoffs in each conference. I did make a few tweaks to the original predictions, but the conference finals and NBA finals teams are the same. So without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2008-09 NBA season:

Eastern Conference (*= division winner)
1. Boston Celtics*
2. Cleveland Cavaliers*
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Orlando Magic*
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Philadelphia 76'ers
7. Miami Heat
8. Chicago Bulls

First Round:
1. Boston OVER 8. Chicago
2. Cleveland OVER 7. Miami
3. Detroit OVER 6. Philadelphia
5. Toronto OVER 4. Orlando

Second Round:
1. Boston OVER 5. Toronto
2. Cleveland OVER 3. Detroit

Eastern Conference Finals:
1. Boston Celtics OVER 2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Western Conference (* = division winner)
1. Los Angeles Lakers*
2. New Orleans Hornets*
3. Houston Rockets
4. Utah Jazz*
5. San Antonio Spurs
6. Phoenix Suns
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. Portland Trailblazers

First Round:
1. Los Angeles OVER 8. Portland
2. New Orleans OVER 7. Dallas
3. Houston OVER 6. Phoenix
4. Utah OVER 5. San Antonio

Second Round:
4. Utah OVER 1. Los Angeles
2. New Orleans OVER 3. Houston

Western Conference Finals:
New Orleans Hornets over Utah Jazz


NBA Finals:
New Orleans Hornets OVER Boston Celtics
Finals MVP: Chris Paul

AWARDS:
MVP: LeBron James, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
ROY: Michael Beasley, F, Miami Heat
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Thaddeus Young, F, Philadelphia 76'ers
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kevin Garnett, F, Boston Celtics
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Rodney Stuckey, G, Detroit Pistons
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz

SEASON PREVIEW: THE DEFENDING CHAMPS

The 2007-08 NBA champion Boston Celtics take the floor tomorrow night against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the 2008-09 campaign. It was an incredibly short summer for the C's, who played more playoff games than any other team in history last season. Atlanta took Boston to seven hard fought games before succumbing to the number one seed. As did the Cavs, who nearly stole game seven at the TD Banknorth Garden. But that was last year, and now every team is once again 0-0. So what do the Celtics have to do to repeat last season's success? Here are five things the C's must do to raise banner number 18 next June.

1. Save the Big 3
Paul Pierce is 31. Kevin Garnett is 32. And Ray Allen is 33. These guys aren't exactly young, and playing playing big minutes, especially in unnecessary situations, will wear them out. Allen and Pierce each played 35.9 minutes per game last year, with Garnett right behind them at 32.8. All three are going to have to see a small (each one right around 30 mpg?) drop in minutes to save them for the post season. The Celtics are one of the two or three best teams in the east, no questions asked. So why throw your superstars out there in during blowouts? Save them for April, when a little more energy can be a season saver.

2. Get some help from Gabe Pruitt
Everybody knows that Rajon Rondo is the point guard of the present and the future for this team. He is going to get the bulk of the minutes on any given night, but he won't play 48 minutes a game. Sam Cassell is ancient, and the Eddie House/Tony Allen combo struggled to bring the ball up against presses last season. That leaves Gabe Pruitt as the backup point guard. The former second round pick out of USC was in the D-League for much of last season and rarely saw any action in Boston. Pruitt did impress in the preseason, however. He started twice, averaged 6.0 points and 3.3 assists in 23.4 minutes a game, and put up 11 points and 12 rebounds with 7 assists in an October 19th exhibition win against the Nets. The Celtics lack of a true backup point guard nearly hurt them last season. Now Gabe Pruitt seems poised to take on that role in '08.

3. More Improvement from Rondo and Perkins
Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics other two starters made great strides last season. Perk was a beast inside for most of the year, and Rondo was great in distributing the ball. If the Celtics are going to repeat, these two are going to have to continue getting better on both sides of the ball. Perkins shot blocking skills were superb last year, but he tended to pick up stupid fouls, which forced him to sit. KG would have to move to the 5, which he prefers not to do, and the Glen Davis/Leon Powe/PJ Brown trifecta would play significantly more minutes, a huge dropoff in terms of inside production. Perk needs to stay on the floor, and stay healthy this season. As for Rondo, he needs to just continue to play smart basketball. Sometimes he tried to do too much last year, and ended up making a boneheaded play, like throwing an alley-oop to a covered player, or going too fast and dribbling the ball off his foot. The improvement of these two will be huge for this team.

4. Get Tony Allen's head in the game
Allen was tremendously athletic before tearing his ACL two years ago. It was apparent last year that the injury still effects him, if not physically than mentally. He sometimes appeared unsure when cutting, and passed the ball instead of taking it to the rim. Allen has been known primarily as a defensive stopper, save for one terrible play against Detroit, jumping on Chauncey Billups' up fake with 0.1 seconds left in a tie game. With James Posey gone, Allen is the new stopper. If he can get some of that athleticism back, and keep his head in the game, Allen can help this team a ton.

5. Get Lucky
Every team needs a little luck in winning a championship. A bad bounce or a blown call, even a mistake by the other team, anything can help get a team going. Hopefully the C's can get a little more luck of the Irish in 2008.

If the Celtics can get these five things, and if, for the most part, they are able to stay healthy, there is no reason why they shouldn't be right there at the end of the year, going for back to back titles. Only Detroit and Cleveland are really with the Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference, so it should be another great season in Boston.