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Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych][/b]
Kevin Garnett. Great Player.
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Paul Pierce. No arguments here.
All three are future Hall of Famers, perennial All-Stars in their own right. But as a trio, where do the Celtics’ Big Three deserve to stand in NBA folklore?
General manager Danny Ainge hit the jackpot in the summer of 2007. First, he sent a fifth overall pick (Jeff Green), Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to Seattle for [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Then came that trade that landed former MVP Kevin Garnett.
By April, the Celtics had completed the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history.
By June, they had claimed the biggest prize in basketball.
The following season, Boston started a smokin’ 27-2 before injuries to KG and other key personnel derailed a campaign that ultimately ended at the hands of Dwight Howard and the Magic in the Conference Finals.
Again playing hurt through the second half of 2009-10, most pundits gave the Celtics little hope of reaching the NBA Finals, let alone clinching the Eastern Conference.
We all know what happened next.
The debate rages on.
Was Kendrick Perkins’ dodgy knee the difference between winning and losing the best NBA Finals series in recent memory?
Let’s not get drawn into that.
Admittedly, the 2010-11 Celtics are much less a Big Three, and much more a Big Four. Rajon Rondo is a bona fide superstar of the league. Arguably, he’s the best player on team.
Yet Danny Ainge’s dynasty will remain until one of the Big Three hang up their Nikes. Or Adidas. Can anyone keep up?
Since 2007-08 the Cs have gone 230 of 320 in the regular season. That’s .719, for the win. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are only three better in this period. That’s some kind of record. Especially when you’re hurt.
For all their regular season glory, will the Garnett/[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
One suspects a truly “great” team would possess more hardware in its trophy cabinet. For all its success, All-Star appearances and league respect, this Celtics team has just one ring to flaunt.
Not that they can’t add to their 2007-08 success. Far from it.
But the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls have scary improvement ahead, and the Celtics need to get the most out of their superstars while they’re healthy enough to stay on the court.
The organization has been proactive in trying to cover the shortcomings of last June. One hopes the Perkins trade doesn’t prove to be a blemish.
Yet for all the additional hands on deck, the Celtics’ playoff success will ultimately hinge on the performance of the Big Three. Oh, and that other guy Rondo.
Rondo and Jeff Green may well join forces with another big name and embark on a reign of their own. But that’s one for another day.
Right now, the Celtics are a [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Give me another ring.
Give me two World Championships.
Give me three Conference titles.
Then we’ll talk greatness..

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