Finally, Finally, Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!

by **Sam** Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:37 am

There's nothing new here. I just wanted to see it in writing.

Sam

Boston Celtics open training camp on Friday
By Gary Washburn
Globe Staff / September 28, 2012

Although bigger splashes were made in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Miami, and Houston, the Celtics officially open training camp Friday in Waltham pleased with their offseason adjustments and prepared to begin transforming their summer visions into reality.

The Celtics quickly got over the departure of Ray Allen, adding nine new players in addition to Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox, who are coming off heart surgeries. There is a sense of excitement as the Celtics practice for three days starting Saturday, before heading to Istanbul and Milan for exhibition games.

What was initially thought of as a rebuilding season may now be the most anticipated season since Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett came together as teammates in 2007.

“I think we’re deep at every position,” said team president Danny Ainge. “There’s been other years where we thought we were, and injuries and some things you can’t really planned for [occurred]. We have a lot of depth, particularly at the big positions.’’ I’m excited about our depth.”

Garnett will speak publicly for the first time Friday since signing his three-year contract extension. Pierce returns for at least one more season. And Ainge and coach Doc Rivers have anointed Rajon Rondo the team leader.

Ainge sought to surround the new Big Three with capable bench players. Gone are Marquis Daniels, Sasha Pavlovic, Mickael Pietrus, Keyon Dooling, Ryan Hollins, Greg Stiemsma, E’Twaun Moore, and JaJuan Johnson.

Although the latter three had potential, they were unlikely to make an impact. Jason Terry and Courtney Lee should give the Celtics backcourt scoring and long-range shooting, with Lee expected to be the starting shooting guard with Avery Bradley (double shoulder surgery) not expected to return until December.

Garnett will play center, with backups in Jason Collins and Darko Milicic, and first-round picks Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo. Melo is a center but could take a year or two to develop. His playing time will be determined on how well he adjusts to the speed of the NBA and his ability to defend the pick-and-roll and stay out of foul trouble.

Sullinger will have considerable competition at power forward. Wilcox re-signed to play both center and power forward, and Green will play small forward and power forward.

“We signed a lot of bigs, so there’s going to be a lot of competition,” Sullinger said. “But I think the team is going to be a great basketball team. And we’ve developed a bond. The competition is just going to help us. I think with everybody coming in not knowing they have a guaranteed spot except for a select few, it’s just going to bring practice to a whole other intensity level.”

The Celtics worked out together last week in Los Angeles.

by **bobheckler** Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:13 am

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4697510/boston-celtics-2012-13-glance

by Chris Forsberg

The Boston Celtics' 2012-13 season officially opens Friday with Media
Day at the team's practice facility in Waltham, Mass. To get you ready,
our friends at ESPN Stats and Info put together a glance to get you up
to speed since the last time we saw Boston on the floor:

BOSTON CELTICS 2012-13 SEASON AT A GLANCE

Last Season: 39-27 record, No. 4 seed in East, won Atlantic Division

Playoffs: Lost to Heat in 7 games in Conference Finals

NOTABLE ADDITIONSADDED FROM

Jason Collins	Hawks (free agency)
Courtney Lee	Rockets (trade)
Fab Melo	NBA Draft
Darko Milicic	Timberwolves (free agency)
Jared Sullinger	NBA Draft
Jason Terry	Mavericks (free agency)

NOTABLE DEPARTURESWENT TO

Ray Allen	Heat (free agency)
Greg Stiemsma	Timberwolves (free agency)
Sasha Pavolvic	Trail Blazers (trade)
Keyon Dooling	Retirement
Mickael Pietrus	Free agency (yet to sign)

Players re-signed: Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox.

BY THE NUMBERS

95.5: Points per 100 possessions (defensive efficiency) the
Celtics allowed last season, second-best in the league trailing only the
Bulls. Once again the Celtics built much of their reputation on a
stingy defense.

66.5:
Percentage of the Celtics field goals that were
assisted, the highest rate in the NBA. Obviously that’s in large part
due to Rajon Rondo running the team’s offense.

9.9:
Second-chance points per game last season for the
Celtics, fewest by any team. Boston just didn’t hit the offensive glass
much at all. The Celtics were the only team in single digits.

19:
Different starting lineup combinations used by the
Celtics last season. Only four teams used more combinations and three of
those four missed the playoffs. Doc Rivers had to mix and match his
personnel all season.

LOOKING AHEAD

* The Celtics could win their division for the sixth straight
season. The divisional alignment was different then, but even in the
1980s the Celtics didn’t win six straight division titles. Since the NBA
split into conferences in 1970, the Celtics have never won six straight
division titles.

* If they make the playoffs, they’ll have been a playoff team in all
six seasons during the Pierce-Rondo-Garnett era, though this would be
their first time in that span making it without Ray Allen.

* If they make the NBA Finals, they’d be there for the third time in
a six-year span. That’d be the first time the franchise has done that
since the Bird-McHale years of the mid-1980s.

bob
My Note: Not much news here either, although when I net the additions/subtractions I realize just how much better our depth is at almost every position this year. Of the re-signed players, yeah, technically Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox are just re-signings, but when you consider that Green contributed nothing last season (due to his health) and Wilcox wasn't there for the playoffs either it's almost like they're new players except that they already know the plays and players. Therefore, I look at them as upgrades and not just re-signings (implying the team just maintained the status quo). Who wouldn't say that the addition of Green and Wilcox aren't positives? And we were only 12 minutes away from the Finals last year.

Tomorrow are 2-a-days. Hallelujah, just in the nick of time. I was starting to shake myself apart from anticipation.

.