The First of Many

Last night’s game had a familiar feel to it. Not only did the Rondo and the Celtics come out strong and take an early lead, only to get complacent in the second half and let their opponents back into the game, but LeBron James was the leading scorer in a game where his team could not get it done against a very tough Celtics’ defense. This year’s NBA season opener could be described as a textbook example of a little something called TEAM CHEMISTRY. Everyone knew that the Heat looked good on paper after getting James and Chris Bosh, but as I said before the game they are not yet cohesive, and do not play the sort of team basketball that wins championships. Sorry LeBron, but the Celtics do, and while the Heat’s two top players combined for an epic 14 turnovers, Rajon Rondo was absolutely the player of the game racking up 17 assists and helping Boston’s Big Three to a combined 49 points.

The bench played great as well, with solid minutes from Nate, Big Baby, and even Marquis Daniels who needs to have a big year as Boston’s only backup small forward. Other than their usual temporary lapse in the second half, the Celtics played great basketball, and have asserted themselves as the reigning Eastern Conference champs. I am looking forward to the next time a Miami point guard tries to contain Rajon Rondo, because the next time around he will be looking to score some points as well.

The Celtics take on the LeBronless Cavs tonight, and should win their second game of the season as long as they do not let their guard down against some underrated scorers on an underdog of a Cleveland team. The Cavs have two good point guards in Mo Williams and Ramon Sessions, and Antawn Jamison will be looking to score as the main man now that LeBron James is no longer on their team. Look for Shaq to play well and dominate the boards against his former team while he is in, as well as consistent play from the Celtics’ bench when Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are not on the court knocking down three-pointers. There’s no better way to start off the season than with a pair of big wins.

2010-2011 Season Opener: Celtics vs. Heat

The wait is over everyone. SCAL-4-THREE is back, and just in time for the season opener tomorrow night when the newly LeBronified Miami Heat take on our Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. It should be a great game, and you will not want to miss it, especially since this could very well be a preview of next summer’s Eastern Conference finals. I see the Celtics coming out on top in this one, as they will be eager to show that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the East despite all the predictions around the country that Miami will break all kinds of win records. As for this very long and very active offseason coming to a close, there are several things to keep in mind in regards to this coming season.

1. The West will not be dominant. There has not been a dramatic swing of power from the Western to the Eastern conference, but apart from the Lakers, most playoff favorites for this year are coming out of the East. The balance of power is about equal right now, which is very rare for the NBA, and it will not take long for people to begin noticing that good teams in the Western conference will no longer be dominant to good teams in the East.

2. Carmelo Anthony could be on the move. Just because the season starts tomorrow does not mean that trades and player acquisitions will stop any time soon, and Carmelo is just one of many players who could very likely be wearing a new uniform by the time the trading deadline rolls around.

3. Dwyane Wade is already hurt. The Heat will be good during the regular season, but I just do not believe that their big three will come together like Boston’s did, as LeBron and Wade will both be battling for rights to the final last-second shot. It is unlikely that both of them will stay healthy all year, and Wade already had to miss preseason games due to injury. Once LeBron gets his chance to be running the show for the Miami Cavs, their team chemistry will become sketchy at best, and their likelihood of beating strong teams in the post season will be low.

4. The Celtics are looking fresh. After a strong preseason, it is clear that Rondo is picking up right where he left off last year as a rapidly rising star, and the Celtics bench is the real deal. Not to mention, the Big Three is still the Big Three, and Kevin Garnett is looking energized like the KG of old as he tries to recover from his rough post season this summer. I think he is going to bounce back and have a big year, barring any injuries, and help lead this team that has one of the most lethal second units in the NBA. The clown squad of Shaq, Big Baby, and Big Nate Robinson will put up massive amounts of points over other bench squads around the league.

5. Scal’s a Chicago Bull. I hate to see him go. He was a true leader, and a great friend, mentor, player, and icon to those around him during his time in Boston. Brian Scalabrine, you were an inspiration to us all, and I hope you get a standing ovation when the Bulls come to Boston.

The season starts tomorrow night, and look for the Celtics to exploit any weakness in this revamped Miami team that they can find. Both these teams are star-studded, but look for Rondo to be the difference maker via points, assists, and steals because Mario Chalmers is really just no match for him. Also keep an eye out for how new Celtics’ players, mainly Shaq, mesh well with their team in comparison to how unnatural it will look for all of Miami’s new players. The Celtics play better team basketball, and look for them to start this season off with a big win.