Sportsfrog.com

Thanks to Swamp legend DSafetyGuy, the Frog will be featuring a team-by-team NBA Preview from now until the beginning of the season.

Up this morning is the preview of the team that changed their entire worldview this offseason. They went out and got a huge facelift, some lypo, and implants. And now they remind me of Brandy’s little brother’s ex, in that they look amazing on the surface. But will their performance on the floor be as good as their appearance?

DSG, take it away:

Boston Celtics

After losing out in the draft lottery and having their hopes of adding Greg Oden or Kevin Durant dashed, the Celtics shifted gears and ended up with the marquee haul of the NBA off-season. The trades that brought in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett altered the franchise from one adrift in the sea of NBA mediocrity with a superstar, some overpaid veterans with not much going on, and a heaping pile of immature talent to one with a sense of urgency to win today not seen since Karl Malone and Gary Payton went out west with dreams of adding championship ring to their Hall of Fame resumes. Thus, the summer chronicled in the children’s book “How Danny and Doc Saved Their Jobs” comes with the steepest expectations seen by the NBA’s most storied franchise since Bird, McHale, and Parish walked through that door.

With 22 All-Star appearances to their credit, there is no doubt that Allen, Garnett, and Paul Pierce are all top-notch talents. However, these three have a much more important number on their resumes: 89,751 career minutes played.

Pierce and Allen are also coming off a season where they combined to miss a total of 62 games. For Allen, it was the second time in the last four years he missed at least 25 games. Pierce has also just joined the other two in the 30-years-and-up club. However, there shouldn’t be anything keeping these three from getting along on the court, as their games should mesh fairly nicely. Pierce is the slasher who can shoot, Allen the spot-up marksman, and Garnett the glue guy who can dominate the glass and play from 18 feet and in. Some think how the shots are going to get split up is going to be an issue, but Garnett’s best season in the NBA came when he had two teammates who took the big shots in Latrell Sprewell and Mr. Onions, Sam Cassell. You think the Ticket really wants FGA’s instead of W’s? Pierce and Allen both sport career averages of 3.9 assists per game and have mostly been surrounded by lesser players, so if they’re willing to give up the rock to the guys keeping them out of the postseason all those years, having a pair of All-Star caliber guys to deal it to shouldn’t be an issue.

Now, the nine question marks. Kendrick Perkins is the starting center, but what does he do for them? His rebounds per 40 rate of 9.44 is pretty good, but his foul rate of 5.43 is lousy. Is Rajon Rondo ready to handle the point on a full-time basis? The Magic Eight Ball of Rondo’s last 23 games says “signs point to yes.” Check it:

First 55 games – 1040 min, 174 ast (3.2 per game), 89 turnovers, 1.96 assist-to-turnover ratio, 278 pts (5.1 per game), 102-268 (38.1%) field goal shooting

Last 23 games – 791 min, 123 ast (5.3 per game), 48 turnovers, 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio, 223 pts (9.7 per game), 86-182 (47.3%) field goal shooting

Rondo looks like a guy who can and will set up the big guns, which is what this team needs. The bench, which was mostly barren after the trade that brought in Garnett, has been hastily reinforced with players looking for a shot at postseason success. In fact, that trade got rid of both the backup point guards on the roster by shipping Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair to Minnesota. While neither of those players is a great point guard by any means, their absence underscores that Rondo must be a success at point, as the C’s don’t have anyone backing him up with true point guard skills. Second-round pick Gabe Pruitt is a combo guard who needs to develop and was given a two-year guaranteed deal to cut his teeth. Veteran gunner Eddie House brings point-guard size, but is simply that – a gunner. House has never met a shot he didn’t like, averaging a field goal attempt every 2.26 minutes on the floor. (As a reference point, Paul Pierce has averaged one shot every 2.14 minutes of playing time and coaches actually want him to shoot.)

If Tony Allen returns to health, he will get some minutes backing up Ray Allen, but not as many as James Posey, who was brought in and is far and away the most accomplished player on the pine. Posey provides outside shooting (connecting on just under 39 percent of his three-pointers the last two years in Miami, which should be an accurate comparison based on inside and outside scoring threats both there and this coming season in Boston) and, more importantly, defense at the swingman spots. Leon Powe’s ability to rebound at both ends (11.9 rebounds – 5.4 offensive – per 40 minutes) should get him some minutes backing up Garnett and Scot Pollard will provide fouls and rebounding down low while cutting public service announcements for the benefit of Boston-area children.

The bottom line is the team is built to win now, and they will. However, with sold-out crowds and a giant payroll built around the three superstars, expectations are raised and the team needs to win big. Expect either Pierce or Allen to miss a month, as it’s bound to happen. When that happens the remaining two stars should keep the team afloat. The division title is not out of reach for the second time in 15 years and 50 wins is a reasonable goal, even with the lack of depth behind the superstars.