The Celtics are one of few teams in the NBA today to endure three seasons from start to finish without even a tweak to their starting five. Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins — those are the five guys who brought a championship banner home to Boston in 2008, and they're the same five that lead the C's into the playoffs this season. Nothing's changed.
And those are the five guys grabbing all the headlines this week as the Celtics prepare to tip off their second-round playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But they're not the only players who will have an impact in this series.
Here's a look at the guys who should be the key bench contributors for the Celtics in this series.
Glen Davis
The Celtics have watched in despair this season as Anderson Varejao, with all his energy and all his IQ, has eaten them alive. Varejao, J.J. Hickson, Jamario Moon — the list goes on. This Cavaliers roster is jam-packed with energy guys who can give the Celtics fits off the bench with their effort, getting those rebounds and loose balls.
If the Celtics want to win the 50-50 game, they need Davis to match the energy of the Cavaliers' bench bigs. No easy task.
Tony Allen
LeBron James is a beast, and there's no way Pierce can contain him all by his lonesome. The Celtics will need T.A. to come off the bench and do his part. The backup swingman has emerged late this season as the best defender on the Boston bench, and he'll need to prove it against the Cavs. Allen brings speed, tenacity, and a team-first mentality to the Celtics' second unit, and he's sure to be huge in this series.
Marquis Daniels
We didn't see much of Daniels in Round 1 — or in the final month of the regular season, for that matter. But against LeBron, the Celtics will need an extra body, as well as an extra six fouls to throw at the superstar getting all the calls. Expect Daniels to come off the bench and give the Celtics some added defensive prowess when they need it. This series is Daniels' chance to shine.
Rasheed Wallace
X-factor No. 1. Which Rasheed will show up? The one that gets inside and scores, crashes the boards with a vengeance, and commits to team defense? Or the slacker that waddles from 3-point line to 3-point line for minutes on end, not bothering to contribute? Good Rasheed can help the Celtics win this series; Bad Rasheed would be bad news. He can be a difference maker.
Nate Robinson
X-factor No. 2. Earlier this month, toward the end of the regular season, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said that Robinson would win this team a playoff game. Now's his chance. If LeBron goes off and the Celtics are in trouble, look to Robinson to knock down some clutch shots and breathe new life into his team. He's done it before — just not on this big a stage. This could be a breakthrough series for the youngster if he plays his cards right.
Michael Finley
Like Robinson, Finley can step up and hit big shots. Even better than Robinson, he brings experience and size to the Celtics' bench attack. He's got one of the prettiest jump shots in the world, and if the Cavs throw a big lineup out there and Doc needs a big, tough guy that can hit jumpers, Finley is that guy.
The starting five are getting all the buzz this week, but the bench players will have their time as well. When you least expect it, one of these six guys will step up and make the difference.
