After failing to defend their 2007-08 NBA title last season, General Manager Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics have reloaded in an attempt to recapture the crown. The superstar trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett is now the superstar quartet with the addition of Rasheed Wallace who defected from the Detroit Pistons. To describe the Celtics as a powerful force to be reckoned with is an understatement. During last season's playoffs, Boston was eliminated by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and the crybaby excuses were delivered in true Boston tradition. Pierce proclaimed the Celtics are the best team and only Garnett's knee injury prevented Boston from proving the point. Certainly the outcome of last season might have been different had Garnett been able to play but injuries a fact of NBA life. Perhaps the Celtics would not have beaten a crippled Lakers minus their big man Andrew Bynum.
A healthy Garnett ready for the new season was not enough for Boston who decided to continue the practice of buying championships. Consider the monster New York Yankees like payroll: Garnett $24.7 million, Pierce $18 million, Allen $17.3 million and Wallace $13.6 million. That is $73.6 million for just four players. The Celtics had better win the championship with that kind of financial investment and anything less would be an embarrassment. There is no excuse for failure unless the buying of as many stars as possible strategy is proven not to work. The departures of Leon Powe (to rival Cleveland), Mikki Moore and Gabe Pruitt led to the free agent signings of Marquis Daniels and Shelden Williams. That is another $6.8 and $3.4 millions added to the payroll bumping it to $83.8 million for six players. Plus there is the resigning of Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Who knows what the status of Stephon Marbery is.
A healthy Garnett ready for the new season was not enough for Boston who decided to continue the practice of buying championships. Consider the monster New York Yankees like payroll: Garnett $24.7 million, Pierce $18 million, Allen $17.3 million and Wallace $13.6 million. That is $73.6 million for just four players. The Celtics had better win the championship with that kind of financial investment and anything less would be an embarrassment. There is no excuse for failure unless the buying of as many stars as possible strategy is proven not to work. The departures of Leon Powe (to rival Cleveland), Mikki Moore and Gabe Pruitt led to the free agent signings of Marquis Daniels and Shelden Williams. That is another $6.8 and $3.4 millions added to the payroll bumping it to $83.8 million for six players. Plus there is the resigning of Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Who knows what the status of Stephon Marbery is.
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