It's an important question. You rarely see a team win an NBA title without having a definitive answer — usually when you've got a championship team, you've got a championship leader at the helm.
Kobe Bryant. Dwyane Wade. Tim Duncan. Shaquille O'Neal. Michael Jordan.
These guys won titles because they picked their teams up, carried them on their backs and earned it. When things got thick, the best player rose to the occasion. And even if he didn't have his A game that day, he still found a way.
Take Kobe in the 2010 Finals, when he was at his best, he carried the Lakers. In Game 5 in Boston, he scored 23 consecutive points for the Lakers and single-handedly kept them alive in a pivotal game with the series tied 2-2. But when he wasn't feeling it? He adapted. Kobe didn't have his shot in Game 7, so instead he crashed the boards all night and ended up contributing 15 boards to the Lakers' comeback win to seal the championship.
Oh, and he still ended up with 23 points. Because that's what the leader does: He finds a way.
The Celtics might not have that guy. They don't have one player that can carry them all the way to the promised land.
The role of "team leader" in Boston seems to change from night to night. It's a revisionist routine that depends on who had the best game most recently. If Rajon Rondo exploded for a triple-double last night, he's the leader. If Paul Pierce went off for 30 points, it's him. If the Celtics gutted out a win with a defensive effort, it's Kevin Garnett.
It's not a question of leadership in Boston. It's a question of "What have you done for me lately?"
Some may say that's an indication of chemistry problems on the Celtics — if they don't have one leader at the end of the day, they must have friction in the locker room.
But on the other hand, it might just reflect the fluid state of affairs in the TD Garden locker room. The C's have as potent a starting five as anyone in the NBA, and they're all leaders in their own right. Perhaps there's nothing wrong with having five stars share the spotlight.
But will the status quo in Boston change eventually? Will one guy rise above the rest and seize the reins of the Celtics?
Most likely, yes. When the time is right, it'll likely be Rondo.
Some will say it's already happened, and that Rondo's been the leader of this Celtic team for a year or more. Point to everything he's accomplished on the court, and it's hard to argue.
But off the court, it's another story. Boston's veteran Big Three still have a lot of sway.
Perhaps there are two different questions: one of the emotional leader, one of the floor leader. Garnett, with his vocal presence and intense competitive spirit, has always been the former. But Rondo is the latter, now more than ever.
It's time for Rondo to grab this team by the horns and take over. His style of play — running, gunning, playing better defense than any other guard in the NBA — is what defines the modern Celtics. He's the leader on the court, and it's time for him to lead the way off it, too.
Next time the C's are in the Finals, they'll look for someone to carry them to the next level. Rajon Rondo can be that guy..
NESN.com will answer one Celtics question every day in July.
Thursday, July 22: Will the Eastern Conference be tougher in 2010?
Friday, July 23: Will the Celtics stay healthy?
