We often wonder what opposing teams, their beat reporters and bloggers are saying about the Celtics. Here’s a look at some enemy chatter from around Miami.
Q: The Celtics lose Ray Allen, they get Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. They lose Greg Stiemsma and get Jason Collins. Now I see they’re adding Darko Milicic. Have they had a better summer than the Heat? — Arn, Delray Beach.
A: They’ve certainly had a busier one, but they also lost an A-list free agent in Allen, the type of blow the Heat did not have to absorb. To a degree, the Celtics were in recovery mode from that point, with Terry, Lee and even Darko helpful in filling their voids. But the most significant moves by the Celtics were retaining Brandon Bass and especially Jeff Green, who wasn’t even available to them last season due to a heart issue. Of course, Boston also has to recover from the devastating free-agency loss of Ryan Hollins.
Let me be kind and say I don’t quite see this the same way as Ira Winderman (although he does get points for the Ryan Hollins sarcasm). The response should have read this way:
Yes. While losing the aging, defensively-challenged and selfish Ray Allen, the Celtics bolstered their back court with the additions of the still explosive Jason Terry and Courtney Lee, a defensive hound dog with a jumper. Jeff Green is the real X-factor, as he could provide the Celtics with a reliable back-up to Paul Pierce. Darko Milicic doesn’t really deserve mention, but watch out for rookie Jared Sullinger. Viewed as a lottery pick two years ago, many teams passed on Sully due to back issues. But the former Buckeye made it through Summer League and off-season workouts without any problems. And, there’s Chris Wilcox – another athletic big man who missed the second half of last season due to a heart ailment. Watch out Heat fans, the Celtics are coming and they’re loaded and angry.
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