Do they beat the Orlando Magic?
The answer — “Yes” — is obvious. The “Why” seems simple, too: The Celtics barely lost the series in the first place. Add those players to the mix, and they win.
But the reality is somewhat more enlightening. Sure, add talent, and you’re bound to improve. But the above players add more than that. They share something in common and highlight what stood out as Boston’s key weakness against the league’s elite: size.
Take the semifinals. The C’s were manhandled in the paint by Dwight Howard and outsized on the wings by the 6-foot-10 small-forward tandem of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Put anyone other than Kendrick Perkins or Mikki Moore on those three, and let’s face it: Perk is too slow on the wing and Moore would've fouled out within 10 minutes. The Celtics faced a massive height disadvantage (not to mention a speed disadvantage in transition). It’s why Lewis and Turk were able to combine for an average of 37 points and 10 boards in that seven-game set, while Superman contributed 16 points, 17 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per outing. Add Marcin Gortat to the mix, and the Celts were plain sunk.
Same story in the Boston-Los Angeles matchup, which the Lakers took 2-0 last season. When 7-foot Pau Gasol, 6-foot-11 Lamar Odom and 7-footer Andrew Bynum were on the floor together, Boston lost control of the paint. It was KG or Perk on Gasol or Bynum, and 6-foot-9 Glen Davis or 6-foot-8 Leon Powe on the others. The C’s, in other words, were ceding a good two inches in each of the frontcourt matchups. It’s a recipe for getting stomped on the boards and in points in the paint.
Even against the Bulls, the C’s had problems defending tree-trunk Brad Miller when he was paired with either Joakim Noah or Tyrus Thomas. The three of them together posted a combined 27 boards and six blocks per outing in the ’08-’09 opening round.
Perhaps nothing is more indicative of the Celtics’ frontcourt shortcomings than the moves made by their front office this past offseason. Think about it: re-sign power forward Davis (at a discount after ingeniously allowing him to kill his own value by overselling himself on the open market); sign 6-foot-9 Shelden Williams to compensate for the loss of the oft-injured Powe; sign a 6-foot-11 All-Star in Wallace; sign the 6-foot-6 Daniels at the guard position; and pray long and hard that KG’s knee holds up for the length of the season.
All that, of course, coming in the wake of pleas from Boston fans — including yours truly — for a true backup point guard, instead of the mish-mash of Starbury and Eddie House they saw last season.
The message from Danny Ainge & Co.? Forget the point guard. We need to get bigger, or we’ll get pancaked again in the playoffs.
Thus far, the move has worked. The Celtics are 5-1 in the (albeit somewhat meaningless) preseason and have put good use to their newfound size. Coach Doc Rivers, already dubbed the “mad scientist” by newbie ’Sheed, sent out Ray Allen, Daniels, KG, Paul Pierce and Wallace late in the first quarter of Sunday’s tilt at Toronto. The smallest man on the floor, in other words? Allen, at 6-foot-5. The group outplayed the Raptors badly enough to force coach Jay Triano to sub in a taller crew himself.
Perhaps more intriguing? Pierce and Daniels in the backcourt, with KG, ’Sheed and Perk in the frontcourt. Doc hinted Sunday in his postgame news conference that he might field that lineup in the future.
With KG’s knee looking healthy, Wallace showing every sign he’s ready to take basketball seriously again and Daniels fitting in quickly as a rabble-rouser in the locker-room, size could be the key to Boston’s quest for redemption. Rajon Rondo, after all, was the club’s second-leading rebounder in the 2008-09 postseason. If nothing else, the new-look Celts should be able to put a stop to that.
