Standard Times Likes What They See

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Always optimism at this time of the year......	

New faces, new excitement for Celtics 


As the Boston Celtics work their way through training camp and prepare for Wednesday night's preseason opener, there's a myriad of storylines and subplots surrounding the team. 
Promising rookies, a change in offensive style, veterans showing up in the best shape of their careers--everything has been coming up green roses. 
Perhaps the most important thing heading into camp, however, is the one thing no one is really talking about yet, but could be the most important factor come springtime. These Celtics could be the deepest they've been in over a decade, and that's got to be good news for co-captains and All-Stars Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. 
"We look like we're stacked at every position, and that's something the Celtics didn't have the last few years," said point guard Mike James, who signed with the team as a free agent. "Now that we have a lot of backup, we can give Antoine and Paul a little more rest." 
That could be the key once the Green enters the playoffs. For the past few seasons, the Celtics could only go as far in the postseason as the bruised and battered legs of the Dynamic Duo could carry them. This year, Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has kept together the core of players that Walker and Pierce have connected with, drafted rookies that can only help the team, and brought in other players that will give the team the much-needed depth they've been craving since returning to the elite of the East. 
Last year, tightwad owner Paul Gaston would only give Jim O'Brien the minimum 12 players required to field an NBA team. New ownership this season has already allowed for 14 players under contract, and greenlighted the addition of six more bodies for training camp. 
Of those 12, names like Ruben Wolkowyski and Bruno Sundov will likely fade into Celtic oblivion next to the likes of Larry Sykes and Jamel Thomas. The roster is reminiscent of the Red Sox circa last April -- a bunch of names you didn't necessarily recognize, but who turn out to be pretty good ballplayers. 
"This is by far the best," said O'Brien when asked to compare this squad to years past. "This is my seventh training camp, and I don't think we have ever started out with anywhere near the talent we have now." 
"Practice is going to be a lot more competitive. Last year, you saw a solid eight or nine guys that you knew were going to play," said Pierce. "Now, from 1-14, people are going to be competing for minutes, and that's going to make us better." 
Pierce is excited about the additions and different philosophies Ainge has brought in without completely overhauling the team. 
"Changes definitely had to be made. If you're not a championship team and you haven't made it to the finals, you have to look and ask what's the problem?" said Pierce. "We're one of the top defensive teams in the league, but we were one of the worst offenses percentage-wise." 
Ainge responded by trying to turn the Celtics into more of a fast-break team, the same offense that New Jersey employs. The same offense that shut them down in the Eastern Conference finals two years ago and swept them in the second round last year. 
"Anytime you get swept in a series, it leaves a bad taste. We know no team is four games better than us," said Walker. "We're a much better team than one that gets swept in the second round of the playoffs." 
An up-tempo style will begin the backcourt, which is a huge upgrade over last season. Gone is J.R. Bremer, and joining Tony Delk will be James and Marcus Banks, who could be the fastest to ever wear the Green. 
"I think that Marcus Banks can be a tremendous addition from his tenacity on defense and his ability to push the basketball offensively," said O'Brien. "I really like Mike James, his maturity, and the fact that he's played for Pat Riley for two years, he's 28, and he's as hungry as you can get. I saw some really good leadership quality, as well as his ability to push the tempo and his ability to score." 
While everyone expects an early-season battle for the starting role will eventually give way to Banks getting the permanent nod, there's no question as to who is the starting two-guard for the Celtics. Behind Pierce, there's always the option of Delk, which can become more of a possibility if the Celts keep newcomer Mateen Cleaves past the exhibition season. Otherwise, Ainge has already gone on record saying he believes the team is thin at that position, and that he's looking to make some sort of move. 
In the frontcourt is where the C's depth really shows. Starters Walker and Eric Williams return at the forward spot, with utilityman Walter McCarty and Kedrick Brown (who should finally be healthy enough to have a season worthy of being a lottery pick) behind them. 
Coming into the equation this year is tough-as-nails second-round pick Brandon Hunter, who was good enough in summer league to avoid a free trip to Europe, and Jumaine Jones, who was acquired in a deal that sent Bremer and Sundov to Cleveland. 
"Brandon Hunter is a really strong, face-up player. He's physical, gets after it hard," said O'Brien. "I think Kedrick Brown has a good understanding of what he has to do to be an impact player immediately." 
Finally, at the center spot, the Celtics are enjoying a depth they haven't seen since Bill Walton backed up Robert Parish. Tony Battie is on paper to be the starter, but there's a newly sober and newly thin Vin Baker breathing down his neck. Rookie Kendrick Perkins will be in watch-and-learn mode while developing more of an NBA body. 
Kendrick Perkins is a guy that doesn't look like he's fresh out of high school -- he plays with the maturity and the focus of somebody that is older. 
"His body has to catch up to this level of play," O'Brien said. 
O'Brien has also said that he expects Baker to fill some time at power forward because Mark Blount is back again. 
After being let go as a free agent prior to the 2002 campaign, the Celts got him back in a trade with Denver just prior to Baker's suspension from the team. He came back as a different player, with a renewed sense of purpose and maturity. According to O'Brien, he's only improved on that during the summer. 
"Mark Blount has been in my estimation, the best player of the first three days (of camp). He's well conditioned, he's worked really hard on his low-post game and his footwork. He's playing with the single-mindedness and the purpose that you just absolutely have to love," Obie said. 
So there's an influx of those who can employ the fast break, along with the returning players who can still play O'Brien's style of defense. The most important thing about this balance, however, is that the 3-point shot can be treated as a weapon rather than a lifeline. 
Even the trey-happy Walker, who was staunchly against imploding last year's team in order to re-too (and who took off more than 20 pounds in order to get in shape for a faster offense), sees the promise of all these additions. 
"I like the team that we put on the floor, but I'm very happy to see the core of our guys still together. We've built a good foundation, we've learned how to win, and hopefully we can add these young guys to it to make things a lot better for us. 
"Hopefully they can bring some energy to our team, and strengthen our bench as well." 
And hopefully give Paul and Antoine a rest -- whether they want it or not. 

Tim Weisberg is a Standard-Times columnist. Email him at timweisberg@xxxxxxxxxxxx