The Boston Celtics opened their first day of practice at their Waltham training center on Saturday, and Paul Pierce liked what he saw.
After practice the veteran took to the twittersphere, saying the C's are "gonna be scary good" this year. Those are some encouraging words for Boston sports fans, as the Red Sox will finish their worst season since 1997 and the Patriots have stumbled out of the gate to a 1-2 start.
Made it through first day of practice We r gonna b scary good
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) September 29, 2012
The seemingly ageless Celtics suprised many in the NBA world last season, making it to within one game of reaching the NBA Finals for the third time in five seasons.
To reload for another title run in 2012-13, Boston addressed needs in the backcourt by adding Jason Terry and Courtney Lee.
Boston may still be one of the oldest teams in the league, but it has proven year after year that age does come before beauty.
Terry will add a dynamic offensive threat with his ability to create instant offense off the bench and will take some minutes at point guard, giving Rajon Rondo a chance to save his legs a bit for the playoffs.
Lee will most likely begin the season as the starting shooting guard and will give Boston strong perimeter defense. The former Houston Rocket will add to the offensive side of things with his 3-point shooting and ability to finish.
Jeff Green's return also adds needed depth on the wing. The 6-foot-9 Georgetown product has yet to find his niche since coming over in the Kendrick Perkins trade in 2010-11, but like Terry, he adds a lot to the team. Green's size and athleticism will allow Boston to play both big and small, and he can share the defensive load that Pierce had to carry much of last season.
Pierce struggled at times last season guarding LeBron James and Kevin Durant, and the fact that he had to work so hard defensively meant his offensive production suffered. Green is an above-average defender and provides a better defensive matchup against players like James and Durant.
Where the Celtics finish in the East is yet to be determined, but their strong veteran presence and added depth puts them right back in the fight with the Miami Heat for Eastern Conference supremacy.
If the C's are already "scary good" after just one day of practice, imagine how good they could be by April.
