FRIDAY NIGHT THOUGHTS

So I watched the Boston Celtics dismantle Cleveland--with most of the starters playing big minutes--in preseason tonight, and I'm getting pretty excited about this team.

I love how the big three play together, they're all sharing the ball (34 assists on 45 baskets tonight!) and playing smart, and everyone is feeding off Garnett's unbelievable intensity and energy. Pierce is a one-man halfcourt offense, Garnett does everything on the court you could possibly ask for, and Allen is just sitting out there beyond the three point line being patient, licking his chops and knocking down daggers.

But here's the thing--I'm starting to think their supporting cast can develop into a real asset by the end of the season. I think Kendrick Perkins can be an excellent role player if you ask him to simply rebound whatever KG misses, block shots and get garbage baskets. Playing with the three superstars really takes the pressure off, and I think the big fella is going to thrive in his limited role.

I'm also very high on the young point guard, Rajon Rondo. I liked him a lot last year, but wondered if he'd get lost in the shuffle this season with three solid ballhandlers dominating the team. It's still possible--Boston looks like it wants to run the offense through Ray Allen quite a bit--but he really put on a show tonight. He can drive at will, he's a good finisher at the basket and getting better all the time, and he's a solid passer. I think he's going to cause a lot of problems for teams who are already having a nightmare of a time matching up with the big three.

Tony Allen probably will get lost in the shuffle a bit, but the guy can definitely play--it'll just come down to whether he can thrive as a role player or not, not everyone is suited to that. If he can't fit the bill, then there's always instant-offense Eddie House, one of my favorite scrub players to watch in the NBA.

Speaking of guys who thrive as role players, the Celts quietly made an excellent acquisition this summer in snagging James Posey. Posey can play--and defend--three positions, he can handle the ball, finish on the break, clean up on the glass, and he just gives them a big time energy guy and steady veteran off the bench. If either Pierce or Allen gets hurt this year, you can toss Posey in there for 40 minutes no problem.

The major weakness on the Celtics' bench is their big men. Rookie Glen Davis looks very promising at a svelte 290 pounds (down significantly from his LSU days), but I don't know how much you can count on him right away. The others fighting for playing time are non-household-names Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine, and old pro Scott Pollard figures to be in the mix by default--they have no other centers on the entire roster. Even if KG gets some minutes there, you're going to need someone else to hold down the fort on the many occasions Perkins is in foul trouble.

Bottom line, the conventional wisdom is right, this team lives or dies on its big three and isn't loaded with depth. But if Perkins and Rondo come out strong this season, and they get solid bench play from Posey, Tony Allen and Eddie House--and something from at least one of the big guys--that'll be what takes Boston from a good 50-win team in the junior varsity conference to a true championship contender. Here's hoping it happens. I generally hate Boston sports team as much as anyone else outside of Boston--most especially the 80s-era Celtics. But I have an impossible time not rooting for Kevin Garnett. He's exactly what sportswriters and fans always ask from their athletes, a guy who would step on babies and kick old ladies in the face to win games.

What, you don't want to see Kevin Garnett kick an old woman in the face?

Sure you don't.