Halftime Hype

As I was browsing through posts on Ball Don't Lie, I noticed Rasheed Wallace's interesting conclusion about the potential of this year's Celtics squad. For crying out loud, the man thinks that his team can "catch the Bulls record." And you know what? He might be right. Two seasons ago, the C's captured a whopping sixty-six wins. And last season, with an injured Garnett, they won sixty-two. Might I remind you that the 62 was with an injured Garnett, who could've "definitely" - to quote Rasheed - led them to several more victories. Call me crazy, but the Boston Celtics could have, very realistically, won seventy games.

Rasheed mentions the talent on the current Celtics roster in resemblance to that of the Hall-of-Fame Bulls team. The depth of this squad is just astounding. A front line of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace is a daunting match-up for any team, and dare I say it, even my beloved Lakers. Pierce, a warrior, is, in my mind, the heart and soul, the CEO, if you will. He's been there from the very beginning; he's been around long enough to experience the ultimate highs and lows of the NBA. From the year when he was injured and came back to an 18-consecutive loss mess to winning the Larry O'Brien trophy relatively shortly thereafter. He may arguably be one of the most determined in the league when it comes playoff time.

Ray Allen came in as accomplished, but not accomplished enough. There's no doubt that prior to joining the Celtics he was a fantastic player. However, he didn't have the illustrous moments in his career to be dubbed a "superstar." Arriving after the climax of his career, Allen knew the clock was ticking for a championship. His shooting seemed to do the trick for the Celtics. Time and again, we've seen Ray knock down the clutch three or drain that ever so important free throw at the last second to change the outcome of the game. Down the stretch, Ray has turned out to be rather reliable.

Kevin Garnett is simply a beast. One can't help but notice his profane vocal outbursts during games after converting an "and1". If one didn't know any better, you'd think that KG had been with the C's for the longest tenure. You can always count on KG to come to practice with a unique passion to play, and just as importantly, to win - and he'll do his best to ensure that happens. Garnett also adds that key extra ounce of swagger that propels a team to prosperity.

As for Sheed, well, we all know his story. With a team like that, who's going to stop you from winning all 82?

The Lakers, Cavs, Magic, Spurs, Nuggets, Blazers, Jazz, Mavs and Bulls. Sheed, don't get me wrong, the confidence is good. But don't let ostentatious hubris distract you from the fact that there are very talented teams out there who can compete with your Celtics. Namely Kobe Bryant and Lebron James have the cast to really give you a run for your money. San Antonio is the master at boring their way to victory. Carmelo and his energetic buds might just sprint past you. The Bulls really challenged y'all in the playoffs. According to Mark Cuban, the Mavs are looking like a great team on paper. The Magic added Vince Carter to a team that made it to the Finals last season. Jerry Sloan's gritty Jazz could easily bump and bruise you so badly, that you don't achieve your goal of 72.

Which brings me to my other point. You may not feel like it, but you future Hall-of-Famers are old. And with old age comes frequent injuries. There's no way the four of you could stay healthy. Even with a healthy diet and good conditioning, a couple of you will be spotted in suits on the bench throughout the year. In fact, I don't even know how many games the starting lineup on paper will play together.

In conclusion, while this year's Celtics team does have the potential to be a record-setting squad, chances are that's not going to happen.