Le Basketbawl

The Boston Celtics during the summer beefed up their bench with some nice free agent signings. They also brought in a key veteran in Rasheed Wallace who so far is talking about the team rather than himself. As much as these moves improved the Celtics they will not mean Frickin Squat if they are without their All-Star power forward Kevin Garnett. “The Big Ticket” sat on the bench during the Playoffs last season as he had injured his right knee and without him Boston could not get past the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

New York Vinnie is probably stating the obvious here but as Kevin Garnett goes so go the Boston Celtics. If Garnett is at full strength the Celtics could quite possibly win their second NBA Title in three years. If the veteran though has trouble getting up and down the court the Celtics will have trouble getting deep into the Post Season.

According to the “Boston Globe” “The Big Ticket” says he is in great shape and can not wait for the season to begin. Garnett told reporters “I don’t have any knee problems. I don’t have any knee problems. I’m not trying to get in depth with my injury and all that but the things are bothering me are secondary and not even primary. So I’m excited about that because it’s nothing be strengthening the knee and playing again. You gotta remember, I have been out since what, March? I haven’t done anything since then. I have just been rehabbing, strengthening. Nothing simulates basketball play. The pounding, the churning, the reactions, the stuff you have to react to in games you can’t get that in trying to that with the rehab and the trainers and all that other stuff.”

Those words have to sound like music to Boston fans’ ears. The Celtics All-Star was asked how difficult was the recovery from off-season surgery? Garnett responded “Better than I expected. I anticipated being a lot more sore than what I was going to be. I have my days and then sitting and talking to other guys, they were just as sore as I was so I kind of felt at home. I didn’t want to overreact to anything and to be honest with everybody here I’m not even thinking about the injury when I’m playing. I do all my stuff I’m supposed to do. I don’t play around with my workouts, even when I am in my room I do my calisthenics and I am getting my proper treatments. And you see this kinesio tape on me but it’s all prevention and all to better.

The things I couldn’t do four, five days ago, I can do today, When were in a drill and we were doing some lob stuff, some five-on-five stuff and some of the moves and cuts with the ball and me stepping back and pushing off, I couldn’t four to five, seven days ago and every day I’m getting stronger and every day I’m getting better, just trying to climb on top of the ladder.”

New York Vinnie went on record last month saying that if the Boston Celtics could remain healthy and focused they would win NBA Championship number 23 next June. A lot of the Frickin “Pretty Boys” on the all-sports TV networks said that the Celtics had aged rapidly and their window of opportunity was closed after their exit from the Playoffs last season. Your Old Pal New York Vinnie said it was Crapolla last spring and I am even more convinced here in early October.

As New York Vinnie has written here many times before; I don’t particularly like giving a Boston team any credit. It may be especially true in the case of the Celtics because they have made My Boys the New York Knicks look foolish more than a few times over the years. But New York Vinnie has always made a commitment to you to tell it like it is and I am not about to stop now. The way things are looking right now there is a very good possibility of another Frickin banner hanging in Boston at the end of the upcoming season.