Winning as Marketing

Boston was the place to be after the Kevin Garnett trade. Free agents Eddie House, Scot Pollard, and James Posey all confided that the opportunity to play with KG was a motivating factor in their joining the Celtics organization for less money than they could have gotten elsewhere.

Other players around the league, free agent or not, withheld judgment. They weren’t as convinced that the new-look Celtics would be as successful as some believed.

Then came the 29-3 start at which point even players under contract acknowledged that they would love to play in Boston where “basketball is being played the way it should be played,” which was another way of saying the Celtics were playing a selfless brand of offensive basketball and a tough, gritty, and intelligent brand of defensive basketball.

All along almost everyone understood that the Celtics playoff hopes would be improved by adding another veteran big and another veteran point guard.

Then KG got hurt.

The smart money had the C’s going in the tank until he returned, but that money wasn’t smart for long, as Doc’s troops went 7-2 without the Big Fella. Despite this success, additional injuries made it clear the Celtics still had holes to fill.

Big Baby and Leon Powe, neither measuring 6’9” or better, took turns guarding Tim Duncan. Again, it was a success, but having those two play pivotal minutes in the pivot is not something any Celtics wanted to see again heading down the stretch.

It also became clear during the KGless stretch that Tony Allen was getting healthy and more productive, and that Eddie House was money off the bench. Both can play point guard, but neither excels in that role.

How much more productive would they both be, Celtics fans asked each other, if House and Allen could focus their energies entirely on playing the off-guard?

Then came the Pao Gasol trade, and thus ended the high-water mark of the Celtics marketability to free agents. Following the Lakers swindle, the floodgates opened, and just about every top team in the West got measurably better via one trade or another. Garbage was dealt for healthy contributors, even retired players were resurrected just to throw in so some team wouldn't have to part with real talent.

All of a sudden the Celtics weren't sexy any more. They weren’t the hip destination that they were before the Gasol trade.

The main reason, in my opinion, was that the Celtics failed to improve themselves via trade before the trade deadline, and almost every other elite team did. So the Celtics ceased being the odds on favorite to win the title.

Meanwhile, the Cavs and the Pistons started to roll and the Celtics started to lose after KG returned to the lineup. Oh, and both the Cavs and Pistons bettered themselves at the trade deadline as well.

Next thing you know, pundits were saying the Celtics might have trouble getting past the Cavs in the playoffs even before they get to the ECFs.

Thankfully, the Celtics three-game West Coast losing streak came to an end before every free agent was turned off.

But one is left to wonder how much damage was done by the above confluence of factors. Everyone loves a winner, and fans aren't the only ones prone to bandwagon jumping.

As of this writing, no free agent has signed with another team…yet.

So the Celtics marketing efforts could still benefit from an infusion of energy, the kind of energy that comes from an important win over a big rival.

It just so happens that the Celtics square off against the Cavs tonight.

Losing combined with injuries makes you look vulnerable, not a good thing when the competition is looking increasingly stronger. A win tonight may get the wheels back on the track, and with Yao Ming out for the season, the Celtics have one less viable suitor vying for the available free agents.