Rondo, Bradley, KG and C.Lee -- Try that Defensive Quartet on for Size

When it was suggested that, while Jason Terry was a key pickup for the Celtics, Courtney Lee may have been the tipping point in Doc's recovery from Ray's departure, Rivers smiled. "Yeah, that helped," he said. "That did. Getting Courtney helped a lot." Now Lee is in a better position to help even more. Even though he's still made just 4-of-15 3-pointers, his outside shot is coming around — and there's a physical reason for that. He was injured on Sept. 6 and didn't get back playing until Sept. 28, a critical period to miss for a player seeking to come full speed into training camp.

"A lot of people don't know that I was out three weeks before training camp, so I'm still trying to get my legs 100 percent back," Lee said. "So you notice a lot of my shots, they're not long they're short. So that means I've got to get my legs back into it." Rivers is most pleased that Lee is getting his defense back into it. He had four steals against the Nets Thursday and could be a killer in the passing lanes. "He was our best defender," said Rivers. "He was terrific. He ran the floor, which he does. He does a lot of tough things. Courtney's important for us. We want a defensive unit to start games.

There are 100 reasons I'm excited about the 2012-13 Boston Celtics. But the above line-up is one of them.

Remember KG and the Four Guns?


If not, it was a unit Doc deployed once against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2007-08 season, and then again against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Both times the line-up propelled the Celtics into the lead after falling behind by 20 or more points. The line-up consisted of KG at center, James Posey at the four, Paul Pierce at the three, Eddie House at point, and Shuttlesworth at the deuce. Obviously, it was an offensive-minded unit.

Now imagine the above line-up taking the court, and how very quickly it could make the opponent's offense evaporate. But defense doesn't score points, you might retort. I beg to differ. All great rallies are begun with stops. It is great defense that ignites the best basketball. Depending on who the fifth player is to join this group, I think getting stops would just be the start of what this line-up could do, if you know what I mean.

It might also be a line-up that wakes us from a slumber.