Why you should watch the Celtics this season

Can they make it work?

With the release of the NBA schedule a few hours ago, the reality of what may very well be a difficult season hits home.  While most of the people reading this(hopefully) are die hard Celtics fans through thick and thin, the truth is many fans will not follow the Celtics as closely this year because they probably won't be contenders.  This makes me sad, angry, and most of all disappointed. So here's why you should watch the Celtics this season, besides the fact that its the Celtics and your life will be a lot worse if you don't.

1) Rondo's Transformation(or lack of)

This is now Rondo's team if it wasn't before. He is the MAN. He is the show. Will he be able to take his game to the next level and be mentioned with the likes of Chris Paul and Derrick Rose? Or will not having Garnett and Pierce to pass to cause him to regress? How will he handle being coached by someone as Green(no pun intended) as Brad Stevens? Will he show the effects of his injury? Will he be a leader and a person younger guys can look up to or a disruption? Whatever happens, it is sure to be interesting.

2) Jeff Green's stardom

A lot has been said about Jeff Green since he came to the Celtics. This season is Green's to run with. Will he embrace his role as second in command? Or will he dissappear as he often did last season? I really like Jeff Green and at this point even the biggest Perk fan in the world has to say we got the better of that trade(long term). However, he still lacks consistency and the fire that you'd want in a star.  He should score 20+this year and quite frankly if he doesn't than he will have underachieved

3) The New Guys

Okay, I may catch flack for this but I don't think Brooks, Wallace, and Humphries are as bad(at basketball) as people make them out to be. Brooks is getting a lot of positive buzz and from what I've seen he can be a 15+scorer for us. Wallace was once, albeit for a brief time, an all star caliber player, and Humphries is one of the best inch for inch rebounders in the Eastern Conference despite his lack of decency as a human being. Let's give these guys a chance. They aren't replacing Pierce and Garnett because no one can.  We need to judge them for who they are as players, not who they are compared to the legends they replaced.


4) Sophomore slump for Sullinger?

One of the best stories of last season was the emergence of Jared Sullinger as a solid player off the bench before his inevitable injury. I think with Sullinger in the lineup we beat the Knicks, but I digress. I really like his game and think he brings an old school type of style that is fun to watch and quite refreshing. The issue of course is whether can he stay on the floor. It will be interesting to see.

5) Can Brad Stevens translate his college success to the Pros?

I loved the Stevens hire. If you are going to rebuild you might as well rebuild coaching wise too and take a gamble with a young coach.  Stevens probably did one of the best college coaching jobs in the history of NCAA basketball at Butler. Yes, two straight Final Fours with a mid major is probably the equivalent of winning 4 straight NBA titles. It's unheard of.  Can this translate to the NBA? Probably not to that magnitude, but I think he has the chance to have success if everyone buys in.

There are a ton of other reasons to watch the Celtics this year. Bandwagon fans stink, so don't be one. If you plan on being a sports fan forever then be prepared to go through a season or 60 of losing. It is just the way it is.  Let's all stay behind the Celtics and cheer them on during whatever this season may bring. Bleeding Green for life.