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The news that All-Star forward center Kevin “Big
Ticket” Garnett was acquired by the Boston Celtics from the
Minnesota Timberwolves recently was greeted with elation by
thousands of fans (this author included).
The addition of a future Hall-Of-Famer
that has averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds in 9 of his 12
seasons, boosts the Celtics’ chances of winning a title that has
eluded for more than two decades. The last time Boston won a
championship was back in 1986 when the team still had Larry Bird,
Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Danny Ainge etc.
Indeed, this is a team hungry for
a championship. After all, this is the winningest franchise in NBA
history with 16 championship banners hanging from the rafters.
Garnett will team up with veteran
scorers Paul Pierce and newly acquired Ray Allen, making them the
newest superpower in the watered down Eastern Conference. They can
easily win 50 games in a conference that was represented in the NBA
Finals by a one-man team (the Cleveland Cavaliers) last season.
Despite the optimism surrounding
the trade, one could not help but wonder if the team traded too much
for Garnett. I agree that Garnett is a true blue superstar not only
because of his impressive talent but because of his work ethic as
well. But to acquire Garnett, Boston had to part with five players
namely Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair,
Theo Ratliff and two first-round draft picks.
Outside of Ratliff, the other
four players are below 24 years old and have shown much promise. For
instance, the 6-10 Al Jefferson had a break-out season averaging 16
points and 11 rebounds per game. Ryan Gomes, meanwhile, is an up and
coming swingman who a little bit of everything on the court.
21-year-old Gerald Green is the former NBA slam-dunk champion and is
a developing small forward with a lot of upside.
In a nutshell, Boston has traded
away their future in the hopes that they can nail a title now.
Additionally, the trade has left their bench anemic at best and I
don’t think they have enough dough to attract two or three quality
role players to help out.
Despite their age (Allen is 32,
Pierce is 29), the three superstars are hungry for something they
never experienced—a shot at the title. And with their innate
talents and attitude, the Celtics are the favorite to lord it over
their conference rivals.
Please e-mail your comments and
suggestions to raffyrledesma@yahoo.com
SIDELINES. Kevin Garnett is the
first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10
rebounds, and 4 assists per game for nine consecutive seasons. He is
also the first player to register at least 18,000 points, 10,000
rebounds, 4,000 assists, 1,200 steals and 1,500 blocks.
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