Not exactly the blow-out start to the season I was hoping for, but we won so really I have nothing to complain about.
As always, the Celtics organization handled a historic moment with class, having Hondo, Cooz, Satch, Tommy, M.L. (M.L.? Just kidding. It's great to see him once again getting love from the Celtics faithful. No-one swung a towel better), Cedric Maxwell and JoJo White bring the 17th championship trophy out to the court before the ring ceremony. No team in the NBA embraces their history better, which is of course partly due to the fact that no other team in the NBA has as much history. The whole ceremony was very powerful, and obviously it had a huge effect on Pierce. I had been a little concerned that Paul was maybe a little too celebratory during the offseason (what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas), but I think tonight showed that winning the title just meant that much to him. It was never arrogance, it was genuine excitement. I can't fault that. So with Green 17 raised next to the 1986 banner, I was definitely psyched for the start of the season.
The game itself certainly had its ups and downs. Ray was cold and KG wasn't much better. Every trip to the line was nerve wracking. In truth though, for all uneven play, I thought everyone pretty much played their role. Paul was of course the big scorer, Ray hit the ones he had to and KG brought his usual intensity. Rondo spent his usual amount of time splayed out on the floor and Perkins didn't quite kill us. Powe played very well and Davis, well, like Perkins didn't kill us. House brought his hustle and Pruitt and Scal never left the bench (neither did O'Bryant. Let's see where/if he fits in this season). Even Pollard got in on the act, and for old times sake showed up in street clothes...
The big thing for me was really the play of Tony Allen. He had moments where he was definitely NOT James Posey and while the jury is still out, he certainly brought the athleticism and scoring ability he's had his whole career. I don't know if I can handle a whole season of line drive lay-ups, but as long as they go in and he draws the foul I think I can stand it. One thing I will say, there was one possession down the stretch (I apologize for the vagueness) where he played LeBron very tough. Of course LeBron felt he was fouled, so we'll humor him and say it was just a good no call. Tony's always been a good defender so hopefully that will continue and maybe cancel out a few line drives from two feet away from the basket.
Would have liked to see us finish the fourth quarter better. Always seem to hold on, but just once I'd like to pull away and then keep pulling. It was our trademark in the playoffs and it doesn't seem to be letting up. So on the whole, a good win. Wasn't perfect, definitely some areas needing improvement, but a nice end to a historic night.
I will close by saying that yes, I referred to the Boston Celtics as "we," "us" and "our" five times in this post. No, I'm not delusional and yes, I do understand that I'm not actually on the team. That said, you're not going to get me to stop this habit. I just wanted to make sure that was clear from the start.
Keywords: Boston Celtics
