The Republic of Sport

Scarbro

Scarbro's Comments

Posted Tuesday July 31, 2007, About: Garnett on his way to Boston

All this does is put Boston in the mix. It does nothing to guarantee them a shot at the championship. Look at last year -- how many people realistically saw the Cavs as the likely Eastern representative in the Finals? In the East, funny things happen.

Pierce, Garnett and Allen would have to play in the Atlantic Division against Kidd, Carter and Jefferson in NJ and Bosh, Ford and Bargnani in Toronto. On that straight-up comparison, as things stand now, you've got to rank them in the order that I listed them. Four years from now, that will probably be quite different, as the Raptors trio is younger with far more upside than either the Boston or NJ group.

Boston does not have a point guard that measures up to the phenomenon that is Jason Kidd or (arguably) the best point guard tandem in the league in T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. With Krstic back the Nets have a legitimate inside presence and their Big Three can still score in bunches. The Raptors have the deepest bench in the East, probably would've had at least 50 wins instead of 47 last year if they'd gelled quicker, and they'll have a bit more experience together right from the jump. They are only going to be better than they were last year.

All of which means that unless Boston gets a bench and an experienced point guard, they'll be lucky to finish higher than third in the division (though that should be enough for a playoff spot).

Once they're in the playoffs, it might be a different story, because they are all veterans with a lot of skill and experience and should make some noise. But three guys does not a basketball team make.

Give them at least two seasons before the Finals are realistic. The Bulls, Pistons, Heat, Raptors and Nets all still have many significant advantages over this newly configured Celtics team.