Boston Celtics might not be the force they used to be, but still have all the right ingredients to make it big in the years to come ...
The Boston Celtics have been one of the most dominating forces in the Eastern Conference ever since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce to create the first “Big Three” of the modern era.
The Celtics won the NBA title in their first season after putting the big three together, and since then have been regulars in playoffs. This past season, the C's lost to the Miami Heat in 7 games in the Eastern Conference Finals,
capping off another great season for the franchise.
Along with all the success, however, came the argument that the Celtics were only a few years away from their eventual fall, as the core of the team consisted of players well past their peak, and nearing retirement. Garnett, Pierce
and Allen are all well in their 30’s now, and could hang their shoes potentially after this season. The regular season saw Garnett and Allen suffer from injuries and work extremely hard to play each game competitively.
Although the Celtics did a great job reaching the Eastern Conference Finals with the roster they had and the injury troubles they went through over the course of the season, they simply did not have the depth and quickness to beat
teams like the Miami Heat.
However, the Celtics have proven yet again that they are masters when it comes to assembling teams that have a shot at the title. The Celtics added new players to the roster during the offseason, essentially breathing new life
into the franchise and making them competitive for the next few seasons at least.
The first acquisition for the Celtics was veteran Dallas Mavericks sixth man Jason Terry. Terry is an experienced contender with playoff experience under his belt, and won the 2010-2011 NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks.
He has excellent shooting skills, and can take any player out of the game with his defence. Over a career spanning 13 years, Terry averages 16.1 points and 4.7 assists. In addition to that, he is a 44.8 percent shooter from the field. Terry gives the Celtics
some much needed depth and a player who can lead the second unit.
The Celtics also signed shooting guard Courtney Lee to the team. Lee played for the Houston Rockets last season, averaging 11.4 points and 1.5 assists per game while going 40.1 percent from the three point line. Lee is a great
shooting guard who has the ability to score from the perimeter and will be a great addition to the Celtics bench, along with Terry.
The Celtics parted ways with future hall of fame shooting guard Ray Allen at the end of the last season. Allen moved to the Miami Heat in the summer for half the price the Celtics were willing to pay him for a new contract. Allen’s
departure came amid speculations that he had a falling off with Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, and was not happy that his starting position was given to Avery Bradley. Allen played a huge role in the Celtics re-emergence in the Eastern Conference, and was
a part of the original “big three”.
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