The Boston Celtics, with Ray Allen's contract coming off the book, we will have a chance to go after a big player.

Dwayne Wade is a guy who is unhappy.  He likes Miami, but they are unlikely to surround themselves with the talent to compete. 

However, they are unlikely to have the money to keep their team intact and bring in Wade. 

We might have to trade away a player like Rondo to acquire Wade. 

I ask all of the Celtics fans out there, if we had a shot of acquiring Wade but to give up Rondo, would you do it?

In 2010, the salary cap is set to go down due to inflation.  With that said, the Celtics will have Ray Allen off the books, Paul Pierce possibily going elsewhere, though I doubt that will happen, and Rajon Rondo will be up for a contract.  If all three of them were to go, according to ESPN, we might have the room to sign a marquee free agent like Lebron James.

So I'm curious, would your average Celtic fan want to give up the likes of an aging Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, not to mention the young gun Rajon Rondo, to be witnesses to Lebron James? 

The salary cap has been said to be keeping Lebron away from New York City, because Stern is lowering the cap and James doesn't want to play for a team with few prospects.  He is after the money, but he does want to be a champion.

There isn't a whole lot of Celtic related news out there, so speculation on out future is all I can think of at this point.

Guard/Forward Marquis Daniels has offocially signed with the Boston Celtics.  Going against previous predictions, players were traded to the Indiana Pacewrs, his previous team.

I think this is a good move where we have plenty of depth and quality players.  He will give us scoring off the bench as a swingman, something we have been missing since Posey.

Another rumor circulating is that the Celts are interested in guard Carlos Arroyo. I like Arroyo and he would be a quality addition to a bench with a lot of depth, but I think Daniels will see most minutes at backup point guard.

When the Lakers acquired Gary Payton and Karl Malone in 2004, it was a foregone conclusion the Lakers were title-bound.  Even though both Payton and Malone were old, Shaquille O'Neal was 33 and their bench was either depleted or old too (remember Rick Fox?) 

The Shaq bias in the sports media lives on. John Hollinger in his ESPN chat has said Cleveland is the best in the East.  The only big difference is Shaq. Anyone remember Shaq last year?  He was not up to his dominant years.  Why do people like Shaq so much?

Everyone says the Celtics are older, but the Magic, who Hollinger predicted are in a dead-heat with the Celtics in the off-season.  Vince Carter is an again unproven playoff performer instead of a very solid Hedo Turkoglu. 

Despite Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes, I just don't see what Carter brings, especially without a reliable Courtney Lee, who could have been a Bruce Bowen apable stopper.  While the celtics have done some excellent off-season moves and have one of the best point guards in the NBA, their moves are marginally good, while the Cavaliers and Magic make some questionable moves. 

So it is very clear the Boston Celtics get no respect, no respect at all.  Maybe Kevin Garnett can star in Caddyshack 3.

At the conclusion of the 2008-2009 season, Phil Jackson surpassed Red Auerbach for the most championships by a head coach.

So, many people have decided Phil Jackson is now the best coach in the league.  Well, I would take Red Auerbach, and a bunch of other coaches over Phil Jackson almost any day of the week.

Is Phil a good coach?  Yes.  Is he an immortal coach?  Hardly.  Let us look back at the two teams he won titles with. Prior to the 1989-1990 season, when Phil Jackson took over as head coach of the Bulls, the team lost to the eventual champion Pistons.  The team already had developed stars Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright.  The team was ready to compete for a title, Jackson was on the gravy train.  The situation was no different when Jackson took over for the Lakers in 1999.  The team already had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.  They lost to the champion Spurs in 1999 and made it to the Eastern Finals in 1998. 

Jackson has done absolutely no player development.  Even when he came back to the Lakers in 2005, he had Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.  They won the championship by trading for Pau Gasol.  Whether or not you like him, he is and was then one of the most talented players in the world.  Jackson is the ultimate bandwagoner.  He has never had to come to a team and build players, make them the best.  Also, NBA officials have admitted over time that they let Jordan and some other superstars (including Kobe and Shaq, all three players of which, have been coached by Jackson) get by with a few more fouls. 

The triangle offense, a staple of Jackson, wasn't even his idea, it belonged to his long-time assistant Tex winter.  In conclusion, it took Jackson 19 years and two teams to get 10 titles, on teams he absolutley no hand in building prior to his assumption of head coach and were already there. 

Red Auerbach on the other hand, built the entire Celtics dynasty, almost from scratch. He developed and mentored Hall of Famers like Bill Russell, John Havlichek, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and many more.  He built a dynasty that dominated the league, nine titles in 10 years.  He brought the team to compete against the likes of some of the greatest teams ever assembled that included Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, who is 'the' symbol of the NBA.

After he stepped down, he had a hand in the Celtics next 7 titles, including picking Bill Russell as the first black coach in the NBA, drafting such players as Dave Cowens, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.  He still remains the standard for coaching and building teams.  So I will take Auerbach and day.

I don't even think Jackson is the best coach today, but that is a whole differnet post.....

The 2007-2008 roster has a starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce and the centerpiece Kevin Garnett.  Our bench was Scot Pollard, 2nd year player Leon Powe, rookie Glen Davis and veteran Eddie House as a backup guard and James Posey as a backup forward. 

There were two big questions heading into the season.  1)  Can the Celtics three superstars play together?  2)  Can our young big man and point guard compliment the team in our starting lineup?

There were a few lingering questions about our bench, but they were answered with PJ Brown and Sam Casell. 

Defensively from the beginning of that season, the Celtics were the best team in the league.  Rondo faced a lot of questions about his control and his drive, but never his defense.  Perkins, working with Kevin Garnett, became an excellent defender and enforcer in the paint who can play offense when he needs to.

The bench, especially House and Posey, were excellent for the team.  

Now, the team faces no questions in the lineup.  Rondo has become an elite point guard.  While the Celtics big three are a year older, they remain some of the elite players in the game and they want more titles.  Perkins has proven himself to be a gamer in the postseason and wants to lead the team to a title.  In fact, many analysts have said we possess the best starting lineup in the game. 

Our bench has improved significantly.  We have resigned Glen Davis, who keeps improving.  To shore up our frontcourt depth, we have added Rasheed Wallace.  Marquis Daniels is a quality swingman who can play the point.  While many will question Shelden Williams, I think his potential to be an excellent player is limitless, he was just misused in his previous homes.  

All of the questions we have going into 2007 are answered this year.  Our big three are back and they are hungry for another title.  Our young starters in the lineup have proven themselves to be solid to excellent players and off our bench, we have two players who were started on teams last year. 

The only question our team faces is age.  No question about it, out team is getting up there.  But I don't think that is going to be a factor, that was a question in 2007-08 and we won, also, we tied for the 5th best regular season record.  Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge has said he knows age is an issue, but I don't think that will stop us from competing this year. 

Glen Davis has signed a two year extension with the Celtics, while his undersized front-court mate Leon Powe has signed with the Cavaliers. 

Don't be fooled by this move, Powe is expected to be out until the all-star break.

Shelden Williams is Ainge's deemed replacement. 

While Leon Powe is a proven postseason player, he has also proven to be injury prone.  For the Cavaliers he is a low-risk investment but he could get hurt yet again, he always seems to. 

I think Williams could be better than Powe in the long run.  Williams has never been given an opportunity to follow up his excellent college career and he is Ainge's kind of player:  hard working, hustling defensive minded, but sadly it doesn't look like he will get all that much playing time unless he works really hard.

Ainge's cutting ties with Powe shows he remembers where he came from.  When Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish all were ailing in the late eighties, he screamed openly the team should trade them.  The Celtics traded him instead.  He knows Powe is injury prone and doesn't want to have to deal with the problems the way his Celtics teams did when he was a player. 

In the end, it is too bad he was injury prone, Powe was a great player for us.  Glen Davis has improved drastically.  Perhaps he needs to improve a little defensively.  The Celtics have a very deep, talented roster. 

Also, Ainge has stated his urgency to find a point guard has diminished somewhat, because he feels Marquis Daniels and Eddie House can play the backup point guard position affectively.

Today, there will be a press conference to announce the signing Glen "Big Baby" Davis to a 2-year deal. 

This was the last major roster question. 

Our last minor roster question is Marquis Daniels.  He is coming to Boston, the question is what are we giving up to get him?  It won't be much, rumors are Indiana really wants Brian Scalabrine and that is an ever-so minor sticking point. 

I like what we have.  Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge has made some shrewd moves.

Age and health are two concerns, but it seems everyone has won it all before and want it again.  They realize the team they are playing for and the pride of being a Boston Celtic.  Can't wait for October.

The Celtics schedule is released.  At first glance, we are going to get a serious challenger in our first game with a game in Cleveland.  This is going to be a test of offseason moves, with the Celtics acquiring Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace and the Cavaliers acquiring Jamario Moon and Shaquille O'Neal.  Our third game of the season will be at home against the Chicago Bulls, a rematch of the first round series and the Bulls without Ben Gordon, a man they relied on a lot.

While we will be playing our old rivals the Philadelphia 76ers over the next couple of weeks, our next big challenge will be the San Antonio Spurs.  While a number of teams in the west have improved, I think they are the class of the west.  This will be a road game for us in the midst of a four-game road trip.  This is going to be a battle of deep frontcourts and backcourts.  This is one for both sides to mark on the calendar.

Santa Claus is going to give us the Orlando Magic for Christmas.  This is only our second game against a serious contender in the east. 

The most interesting part of our schedule is in roughly a three-week period, we will be playing the Los Angeles Lakers late January- through mid-February.  This is going to be a test of teams that respect each other and don't like each other.  This is the biggest rivalry in the NBA right now and one of the biggest in the country.  Both teams are going to want this one and the Celtics are going to want revenge.  The first game will occur on the 31st and will be at home.  The next one will be slightly after the all-star game.  This could be a game that determines momentum for both teams.  This is an emotional rivalry and both know the implications of these two games on the calendar.

The key to our season is going to be Garnett's health.  I think, despite our shortcomings, we could have won it all last year.  Our depth is also going to be critical to our team.  We have 5 quality big men so controlling the paint on both ends is going to be critical. 

I'm a believer that the regular season is important.  In the last few years, teams have not done so much to prove my theory that the regular season is important.  The Cavaliers bottomed out with the best record in the league, not even making it to the finals.  The Mavericks in 2006 lost in the first round and 2005, the Spurs didn't make it to the finals.  But these are just a few of the tests we face before the postseason when it really matters.

I know I write for a Celtics blog and I am a devout Celtics fan, but I am able to be objective.  The Celtics have had a stellar off-season.  Not only have they improved from their lack of depth, but they have become one of the deepest teams in the league. 

First, I have to say, it looks like Glen Davis is going to remain with the Celts.  The kinks and a contract just need to be worked out and it will be.  The reason I say this is no other team has made an offer and I doubt they will. 

I always say, the game is won in the paint on both ends.  So we have three quality players in the paint to 'back up' two excellent starters in Kevin Garnett.

Marquis Daniels gives us a starter who is coming off the bench.  We did not get a point guard as of yet, but that could change.

It should be noted Daniels is not officially a Celtic, a sign-and-trade is being worked out between the Celts and the Pacers, but all sources indicate it is still on track to happen.

Wallace and Davis speak for themselves. 

Shelden Williams is a guy who I think should be a starter.  In college, he was a 20-10 guy.  I have absolutely no reason to believe he wouldn't be in the pros.  The Atlanta Hawks, who drafted him, didn't use him right.  The same is true of his other 2 teams, Sacramento and Minnesota didn't either.  I will predict he is not going to start over Kevin Garnett.  But he is a guy who could do as well, if not better than Leon Powe. 

All this, plus an excellent starting lineup.

The only two teams I am really scared of are the Mavericks and the Spurs.

Shaq is not going to lead the Cavs to a title.  Jamario Moon was a signing to placate Lebron, but he is another three point shooter who feeds off of Lebron James.

The Magic got hit by steroids, other teams may follow.  But I don't think Vince Carter is going to put them over the top.  He is aging and hasn't always given it his all.  Howard has got to toughen up, especially for the postseason.

The defending champion Lakers have resigned Lamar Odom, but I am starting to think he was playing in a contract year.  I also don't know if Ron Artest is really going to help the team all that much.  On defense, he seems to be not as good he once was.  To add that that, Artest, Kobe Bryant and Odom are not getting any younger.  They seem to not be so deep right now.  Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton and a few others aren't going to be enough to compete in the west.

I have to give it to Celtics General manager Danny Ainge.  We had problems.  Our biggest was lack of depth and we fixed it.  So we have a chance to have yet another excellent season by becoming one of the deepest teams in the league on paper.  Of course we have to see what actually happens in the regular season.