Kendrick Perkins is still gone (and Francisco Franco is still dead, too, in case you were wondering). The Celtics are now well into the post-Perk era, and their motley mix of new pieces is slowly getting used to life in Boston, both on and off the court.
It's been an adventure. Not often do you see a team find this much success in the regular season amid this much turnover. But that's the way this season has been in Boston — always eventful, for better and for worse.
Here are seven thoughts on the Celtics 2.0, who carry a five-game winning streak into Wednesday night's tilt against the Clippers.
1. Paul Pierce had a huge week for the C's last week, averaging 21.8 points and eight rebounds over four games, all wins. But what's even bigger than his game-to-game numbers is this career stat: The captain is now one of only three players in franchise history to play over 35,000 minutes. He passed Robert Parish's career total of 34,977 minutes last week, and he now stands third all-time at 35,064. Only Bill Russell (40,726) and John Havlicek (46,471) are ahead of him now. Pierce would have to remain very, very healthy over the next four years to have a shot at overtaking Havlicek at No. 1.
2. Shaquille O'Neal turned 39 on Sunday, which sounds like a death sentence for an NBA big man. But reaching that ripe old age is far from the end, if you're one of the greats. Some of the all-time great 39-year-olds in league history include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who led the Lakers to a title in the 1986-87 season), Parish (who was still going strong in Boston in 1992), Reggie Miller (who took the Pacers to the '05 playoffs) and Michael Jordan (who was still an All-Star with the '02 Wizards). Karl Malone and John Stockton also had big seasons at 39. Be inspired, Shaq. Be very inspired.
3. Jeff Green said last week that he's having a blast so far in Boston, getting to play with the Celtics every day. Only one problem — he can't find his way around town. Green said Friday that he got lost for 35 minutes driving around downtown Boston, and he needed a GPS to eventually find his way home. Upon hearing this, Ray Allen, who was traded here for Green back in 2007, responded simply, "Welcome, Jeff. Join the club. We all did that."
4. The adjustment has been a little rockier for Troy Murphy, who joined the team Wednesday. In three games so far with the Celtics, Murphy has only three points, all of them on free throws. He's yet to make a basket — so far, he's 0-for-9 from the field. It would be nice to see him turn that around, but it appeared Sunday night he was having a little bit of trouble finding the confidence to shoot. On the plus side, Murphy has been an energetic player and a great rebounder, especially offensively.
5. Hanging in the locker of every Celtic in the TD Garden locker room is a small placard showing the player's name, his uniform number, and every past C's member who's worn that same number. Here's the thing, though: Sasha Pavovlic's list is blank. He's the first player ever to wear the green No. 77. The C's have retired all the good numbers over their 60-plus-year history, so the new guy is stuck with the goofy number on his jersey. He's not the first guy to wear the No. 77 in Boston, though — you may remember a past Bruin by the name of Ray Bourque.
6. In picking up Carlos Arroyo this weekend, the Celtics lose a promising youngster in Chris Johnson. But look at what they gain: a legit pop star. Well, sort of. Arroyo is really into "reggaeton," which is a Latin American hybrid of pop and hip-hop, and he's recorded a few songs including the 2010 track "Se Va Conmigo." Have a listen. It's not as bad as you might expect.
7. Of the five players the Celtics jettisoned at the trade deadline on Feb. 24, four are battling injuries. Perkins, Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels and Semih Erden have all been missing significant time. But the fifth guy is Luke Harangody, who's loving his change of scenery. Now in Cleveland, much closer to his hometown in suburban Chicago, the rookie has shined in his new role on Byron Scott's bench. He's averaging over 15 minutes per game in March, and he set a new career high on Friday with 18 points in a win over the Knicks.
For some guys, Boston is a destination for winning a championship. For others, it's a stepping stone to bigger and better things. To each his own.
