Games Review Blog

Last year, the Celtics were a great team with a high chance of winning a second title in a row. Then things changed in a flash, as Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe had got injured.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis was asked to handle Garnett’s load, but anyone with basketball knowledge knows that despite the fact that Davis did a respectable job filling in, Kevin Garnett is basically indispensable.

In Davis’s defense, he did score 15 points per game, pulled down some rebounds, and some blocks, but Garnett’s presence is about a lot more than just the stats. It’s about his drive, it’s about his leadership, and it’s about the way he improves every other player on the floor.

Garnett’s veteran leadership proved that something was amiss without his presence, and the Celtics were no longer the powerhouse that they were at the season’s start.

Ray Allen, another star in his own right, was streaky at best in the series against the Magic. He missed many shots that he’d normally make, and this may have been the difference between a series win and loss vs. the Magic. Allen’s ineffectiveness carried over to Pierce, who received more defensive attention due to the fact that Allen was barely a threat to Orlando.

By no means are the Celtics a lock to win another championship next season, but a healthy Garnett should bring the team back to its elite status.

This year, the Celtics have made sure that they will hopefully have at least two good big men in the playoffs if Garnett gets injured, as they signed Rasheed Wallace.

Here’s to some health in Boston next season. If the team remains healthy, I believe they’re the team to beat.