Doc Rivers has himself a talented, polished second unit. Shaquille O'Neal is here and ready to work. Glen Davis is back, and Doc's pushing him. Marquis Daniels is healthy and recommitted. Delonte West has returned to Boston and he's happy to have a second chance. And Nate Robinson, acquired at the trading deadline last winter, is in Newport for his first taste of a Celtics training camp. He's ready for his first full season in Boston.
Put those five together, and you've got a group of backups that can outplay plenty of NBA starting fives.
"I think this is the best bench we've had since I've been here, on paper," Rivers said Wednesday. "But on paper and in the game, those are two different things."
While continuity in the starting five has been a hallmark of these Celtics, the bench is in constant turnover mode. Davis, Daniels and Robinson are returning from last year's team, but O'Neal and West are here to replace two departed Celtics — Tony Allen, now a defensive stopper on the Memphis Grizzlies' bench, and Rasheed Wallace, whose career is "wrapped up like Christmas," to use his words.
It's time to see what the new group can do.
"T.A. and Sheed, they brought a lot of different things to the table," Daniels said. "Shaq and Delonte, they do different things also. So we've just got to figure it out and work it to the best. Shaq's a great post player, he still can play. He's still a great player. He gets mad respect, and that's going to open it up for other guys."
Shaq isn't only the biggest celebrity on the Celtics' second unit — he's also a focal point basketball-wise. He's obviously lost a step or two at age 38, but he still has the ability as a low-post scorer to destroy opposing backup big men. His presence on the block is going to be a huge factor for Boston's bench this season.
The biggest question, though, is how Shaq will affect the Celtics' presence on the defensive end. Speed and agility are what make Rivers' defense go, and the Diesel suffers from a shortage of both. The C's coaching staff has to find a way to make the big fella fit.
"It's going to work," Rivers said. "But it's going to put more of an onus on the guards. I think we'd be fooling ourselves if we think Shaq's going to be out at halfcourt trapping and showing and all that stuff. So instead of trying to get him to do that, we've got to put the onus on the guards to keep the ball in front of them. It does put more stress on them, but let's just be honest. The closer we can keep Shaq to the basket, the better. He's a force down there, he's a shot-blocker, he's a rebounder. We don't want him away from the basket."
The X-factor defensively will be West, whose ability to agitate opposing guards and contest shots will give the Celtics an edge they haven't had since the young guard left Boston three years ago. Having him back will be big for the Celtics, and the chemistry between West and O'Neal, teammates last year in Cleveland, will be a huge help as well.
"Delonte's a very unselfish player," O'Neal said. "Too unselfish at times. But he knows me really well and I know him, and we're going to be coming off the bench together and doing a lot of things to help this team win."
"The first 10 games are going to be a problem because Delonte's not going to be able to play," said Rivers, pointing out that West is currently under suspension for pleading guilty to weapons charges. "That's a huge concern for us, because he's huge for our bench. If you watch us play, I think he actually handles the ball more than Nate, so Nate can be the scorer. The first 10 games, Nate's going to have to do more ball-handling than we want him to do. But that's OK. After that, our bench will be pretty good."
Bringing together all these new faces and all these personalities, the Celtics may have some kinks to work out in the opening weeks. But come mid-November, this second unit is going to be scary good.
"It's going to be great," Daniels said. "We've got a lot of post players, like Shaq and Baby, but also Delonte and Nate. We're just going to have to go out there and work. Find a way to gel together and work."
