For the Boston Celtics, the 2009-10 season has felt like a cross-country road trip.
It started off with nothing less than sheer excitement and energy, as if everyone maintained a constant inner monologue:
No one can stop us.
This is the ride of our lives!
Of course, by the middle of the season things started to get…boring.
The team lost focus.
It seemed like Doc Rivers' group had been on the road for entirely too long and began to question if the trip was ever really worth all of the trouble.
Are we there yet?
As we move into the NBA finals, the excitement is back.
The Celtics are headed west with the top down screamin’ out money ain’t a thang…if it makes you more comfortable, you can just keep the windows cracked…
Here’s a look at some of the key events throughout the Celtics’ season:
Timeline
July 8:
The summer starts off with a bang when word spreads that the Celtics have a serious interest in former NBA and reigning Technical Foul Champion, Rasheed Wallace.
The Big Three (Garnett, Allen and Pierce) make their pitch and Sheed officially signs with the Celtics.
July 22:
If there was any hope that former Celtic point-guard Stephon Marbury would latch on to a team for the upcoming season, it quickly went out the window with one infamous uSTREAM performance:
July 31:
Gabe Pruitt is waived.
Celtics Nation? Panic mode…
September 1:
The roster is completed when the Celtics re-sign Glen “Big Baby” Davis while adding Marquis Daniels and Sheldon Williams.
With the leadership of Brian Scalabrine, the Celtics seem poised to make another run at the title.
October 26:
Literally one day before the start of the 2009-10 season, Glen “Big Baby” Davis gets fuming mad when someone eats his last frozen taquito from the clubhouse icebox.
An altercation breaks out and Davis breaks his hand forcing him to miss the first two months of the season.
As punishment, Celtic Co-Owner Wyc Grousbeck announces he will no longer call Davis “Big Baby.”
Davis cries.
October 27:
Celtics come back from an early 13-2 deficit and defeat the Cavaliers in Cleveland 95-89 on opening night.
The Celtics go on to win 8 of their first 9 games.
November 13-20:
The Celtics hit their first bump in the road, losing 3 of 4 to Atlanta, Orlando and (cough) Indiana (cough, cough).
November 22 – December 25:
The Celtics roll off 14 of 15 in a little over a month. The streak begins with a KG buzzer beater against the Knicks and with wins against Miami, San Antonio and Kevin Durant’s upstart Thunder, their run concludes by knocking off the defending Eastern Conference Champions Orlando Magic on Christmas Day.
December 27 – January 29:
Following Christmas the Celtics change into a completely different team.
Both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce suffer knee injuries and miss substantial playing time – even Rajon Rondo is limited at times, allowing JR Giddens to get his first NBA start.
Significant minutes are given to Tony Allen, Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine.
The Celtics lose 11 of 17 games between Christmas and the end of January – which ends with a Kobe Bryant buzzer-beating 90-89 loss at home to the Lakers.
Other than one thrilling overtime victory over Miami where Rondo lays in an alley-oop from an out of bounds pass, the Celtics look old, real old. The days of “ubunto” are a distant memory.
February 13:
The Celtics send their best to the All Star game. Paul Pierce wins the 3 Point Shootout and Rondo is selected to the Eastern Conference team.
Major questions loom regarding the future of the Celtics.
Talks of trading Allen, Davis or ‘Sheed spin throughout the all-star weekend and into the trade deadline.
February 18:
The trade deadline comes and goes.
Danny Ainge elects to keep the core of Celtics intact.
A PG swap of Eddie House for Nate Robinson is the only notable Celtic move.
Side note- This now makes two consecutive years that Danny Ainge has traded for a point guard (Starbury and Robinson) who the Knicks, that’s right the Knicks, simply didn’t want on their team:
April 14:
The Celtics play.500 basketball the entire second half (40-32) record.
Rasheed Wallace decides he doesn’t want to play inside the paint (which is the one thing he is supposed to do). Pierce and Garnett are in and out of the lineup.
Marquis Daniels comes back after missing two months from an injury, but he forgets how to play basketball. Nate? Not so great.
Other semi-moments of greatness?
The Green runs off three straight west coast wins against the Kings, Lakers and Blazers, but this is followed by a loss to the lowly Nets just two weeks later. The team becomes hard to watch and somehow loses their identity as a tough, defense first team. Ainge’s hair is looking mighty grey – no one knows which Celtic team will show up in the playoffs.
April 27:
The Celtics win four out of five and beat up on the fifth seeded Miami Heat in Round 1 of playoffs.
The Big Three are in solid form and the swarming defense that defined the 2008 Celtics, is back.
The Celtics hold Miami under 100 points in all four of their victories. The team appears ready to take on Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
May 1:
A look at the ESPN “Expert Picks” prior to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals:
May 11:
The Celtics defeat the NBA’s "best team" in six games.
They do this in surprising fashion, winning 2 out of 3 in Cleveland (including a 120-88 annihilation of the Cavs)
Looking like Bow Wow from Like Mike, Rondo out plays the best player in the world, Lebron James.
Rondo's Stat line from game 3: 29 points, 13 assists and 18 rebounds.
Antawn Jamison gets eaten up by KG defensively.
Shaq is just in the way.
I have to admit, my least favorite Celtics: Tony Allen, Big Baby and ‘Sheed played electric off the bench.
The team is headed to the Eastern Conference Finals and has a legitimate shot.
May 28:
The Celts finish off Orlando in 6 games to advance to the NBA Finals.
After jumping out to a commanding 3-0 series lead, the Green lose two in a row before closing out the Magic at home.
This is a physical series to say the least.
The Celtics big men hold Dwight Howard at bay throughout the series and occasionally turn to various martial arts:
Vince Carter was absolutely terrible.
At times it looked like he could use a drink or two to calm his nerves.
After Big Baby took a Dwight Howard elbow to the head, it was Davis who appeared like he had a few cocktails:
Ray Allen hits big shot after big shot and Glen Davis steps up in a major way.
Marquis Daniels gets hurt during the 2 minutes he was on the floor during game 5, which gives Brian Scalabrine the chance to make sure his jersey still fits.
He doesn't play.
Welcome to the Finals.
The Celtics have made it to the NBA Finals and will once again face Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
This has been an up and down year, but an interesting ride to say the least.
While you can never be sure what Celtic team shows up, heading into the 2010 finals, Boston is hitting the gas pedal at the perfect time.
