By: Dan Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Assistant Editor
In case you haven’t heard, the Boston Celtics have the greatest team ever assembled.
That is, if it were 2003.
In light of the Miami Heat signing three of the best players in the game this offseason, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge decided to go a different route. He signed the best players in the game – from seven years ago.
So let’s take a trip back to the 2002-03 season, shall we?
At center, we have Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq played just 67 games that year, but averaged 27.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. He was in the prime of a career that made him the most dominant center ever to play the game.
At forward, the C’s are rocking Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O’Neal.
KG, then a Minnesota Timberwolves superstar, was seventh in the league in scoring with 23 points per game, in addition to his 13.4 rebounds (second) .
O’Neal had a breakout season in 2002-03, his second year with the Indiana Pacers after coming over from Portland. O’Neal averaged 20.8 points and finished fourth in the NBA with 10.3 boards. His 178 blocks also ranked him fifth in the NBA.
As strong as the C’s are (or, [...]

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
What’s up Doc?
That’s what Celtics fans wanted to know soon after the NBA Finals ended and attention turned to whether Doc Rivers would be on the bench in Boston next season.  That question was answered last week as Rivers announced he would be back coaching the Celtics next season.  All of Boston felt relief.
Then Paul Pierce opted out of the final year of his contract.  This wasn’t a huge surprise and there wasn’t much reason to be concerned that Pierce would leave Boston, but it was great news for Celtics fans when reports surfaced in the last few days that Pierce and the Celts had agreed on a 4 year deal in the $60 million range.
Two of the biggest questions regarding the Celtics offseason had been answered; Doc and Pierce are going to be at The Garden in 2010-2011.  Now two big questions remain for the Celtics.  The first is will Ray Allen be wearing green next season?  The chances seem good especially with both Doc and Pierce coming back.  Both men must think that there’s a good chance Allen is also coming back otherwise it may have been a more difficult decision for them [...]

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Wow! What else can you say about Rajon Rondo’s performance in game 4 of the second round series between the Celtics and Cavaliers.  Rondo was magnificent, putting together an unbelievable triple double stat line of 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists.  He was the best player on the court and it wasn’t even close.  And that of course includes the reigning MVP of the league LeBron James.
What makes the performance even more impressive is that it not only came in the playoffs against a Cavs team that had the best record in the NBA, but it was essentially a must win game for the Celtics.  They could not afford to go down 3-1 in the series with game 5 in Cleveland.  The Celtics had to have game 4, and Rondo willed them to victory.  On a day when Paul Pierce scored only 7 points, Rondo more than carried the load offensively.
The Cavs cannot keep Rondo out of the paint.  They have no answer for the speedy point guard, and unless they find a better way to keep from getting into the lane, the Celtics have a great shot to pull of the upset in [...]

By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
Yesterday, was a great day for Boston Sports, as all of their teams got W’s, some more important than others. Here’s a recap:
BC Eagles. Won NCAA Hockey Championship 5-0: For the third year in a row, the city of Boston owns this trophy. Last year, BU came back from two goals behind to win it, and BC had it the year before. So even more awesome than for Boston, is that BC has won this twice in three years, meaning their Seniors and even Juniors, now have two shiny rings.
The Eagles went 12-0-1 in their last thirteen games, but earlier in the season, not many would have necessarily picked them for winning the big dance, as they still managed to tally 10 losses, 2 coming from foe BU and another from Northeastern.
But alas they did, and they did so big-time. Winning 5-0 in a Championship game is just insane. Wisconsin didn’t stand a chance, and the Eagles proved they not only deserved this, but that they in fact own Commonwealth Avenue. Sorry, Terriers, this a’int your street anymore.
Boston Bruins. Clinch a playoff spot: It’s been a long, painful season, but despite everyones assumptions, the Bruins [...]

Congratulations Paul Pierce, for representing the Celtics and winning the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend 3-Point Shootout.
The last Celtic to win the shootout was Larry Bird in 1988. Relive it here.

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
For the second year in a row, Christmas is a working holiday for the Celtics.  The best in the NBA get to showcase their stuff on Christmas.  It’s a national showcase for the league and big games and great matchups are a tremendous tradition that NBA fans look forward to every year.
This Christmas is no exception.  The Celtics will be in Orlando tangling with the Magic.  This is of course a rematch of last year’s terrific second round series that saw Orlando win game 7 in Boston.  Both teams are atop their respective divisions and playoff positioning down the road is always a consideration when these two teams meet in the regular season.
Should be a fun game.  It’s always great seeing Dwight Howard battle it out with Kevin Garnett.  The Vince Carter vs. Paul Pierce matchup is also very intriguing.  Both players came into the league together as rookies.  Carter was selected 5th in the 1998 NBA Draft and Pierce 10th.  Since then they both have been successful, but Pierce has a title and NBA Finals MVP on his resume while Carter hasn’t gotten past the 2nd round.  The Magic are by far the best [...]