June 2007
Boston Celtics, Eastern Conference contenders?
Two conference officials reached yesterday agreed that the combination of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce would give the Celtics the legitimacy boost they have long missed.
As evidenced by Cleveland's abysmal showing in the NBA Finals, the Eastern Conference should be a wide-open race next year.
The Celtics, with Garnett, would be expected to be in that pack.
``He's terrific,'' one official said of Garnett. ``Wherever he's traded, he'll make a natural upgrade. He's carried a bad team for several years now, and I know he's got some mileage on him, but he'll be big for whoever gets him.
``The Celtics would become instant contenders in the East. Paul is a great shooter and scorer, and now you also have this phenomenal 7-footer playing with him under the basket? I would say the Eastern Conference is absolutely wide open, and if the Celtics had Garnett, they would be one of those teams at the top.''
The second official agreed that Pierce, who turns 30 in October, would finally have a worthy partner in the 31-year-old Garnett.
``You would be a better team right away,'' he said. ``If they keep Paul Pierce, then they would also have a young team with the addition of another guy who is a big-time player now.
``There's such parity in the league right now. A move like this would put them right there.''
No comments:
Post a Comment