Celtics Season Recap [VIDEO]

When the Celtics started this season with a shortened season, no training camp, and seven new players, many questioned whether the team could come together as a team, and whether they would even make the playoffs. The Celtics succumbed to the critics in the early part of the season, beginning with a 0-3 record. Even as the early problems of the 0-3 season went away (i.e. Paul Pierce returning from an injury), the outlook did not get that much better. Injuries plagued the team throughout the season: Jeff Green (heart ailment), Chris Wilcox (heart ailment), Jermaine O’Neal (knee), and even star point guard Rajon Rondo was out for part of the season ailing a dislocated elbow. At the All-Star break, the team was dismal 15-17, and people were starting to doubt whether there was any merit in going the rest of the season with the same team. Trade rumors, and potential deals buzzed all around New England; the big reason why was because of Danny Ainge, the Director of Basketball Operations, who has often said bluntly that he would have traded the Big 3 team of the late 1980s if he was Red Auerbach. However, by the end of the trade deadline, no deal had been made. In hindsight, the Celtics were actually very close; they had a three team deal that would have dealt Ray Allen to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Paul Pierce to the Celtics, but O.J. Mayo said he would refused to come to Boston. It must have been Celtics luck, or maybe it was the rest and practice time that came from the All-Star break, but the team came out a lot better in the second half of the season. The play of Kevin Garnett, young Avery Bradley, along with Paul Pierce' 24 point a game buoyed the Celtics along to key wins during that second half stretch. The team also picked up young Ryan Hollins and Sean Williams as possible big men off the bench in the playoffs should an injury occur to one of the starters. The team ended with a 37-29 which was good enough for an Atlantic Division Title and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Going into the playoffs, many were unsure of how successful the Celtics were going to be going against a young Atlanta team that had a lot of firepower.