Blog

It’s official – Jeff Green is going to be a Boston Celtic for the foreseeable future, agreeing to an undisclosed contract that will position him to be a part of the Celtics’ present and also its future.  Green, clearly disappointed in his Boston showing following the Kendrick Perkins trade, seems determined to make amends for what he views as a sub-par effort on his part.  That’s great news for the Celtics, who clearly need a set of young legs but, more than that, need a player who can defend and score the basketball.  Green can do both.

Offensively, head coach Doc Rivers now has a plethora of scoring options at his disposal - from Paul Pierce’s ability to create his own shot, to Kevin Garnett’s deadly jumper, to Jason Terry’s clutch shooting, to Brandon Bass’ mid-range arsenal.  So even without Ray Allen, it’s safe to say that our Celtics have guys who know how to put it in the hole.  And with the mix of players that we have, egos shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to minutes or points.

But even with Green, is it enough to get the Celtics over the hump?  Losing Ray Allen not only hurts those chances, it enhances the Miami Heat’s position as the NBA’s best team.  For the Celtics to compete and compete well, Green will need to exceed even his own expectations.  He’ll need to outshine Brandon Bass and Paul Pierce on both ends of the court, becoming something that no one saw coming.  Can he do it?  Here’s hoping he can, because short of Danny Ainge pulling off another coup (and the dollars may not be there for that to happen), this Celtics team may be in for more of the same – a valliant effort that comes up short in the playoffs.