All-Star Rondo puts Celtics on record pace

How quickly things have changed for Kevin Garnett. Just two years removed from the consistent struggles that overshadowed his personal brilliance in Minnesota, KG is now the proud owner of a championship ring, and in pursuit of another in record fashion.

With December underway, the Boston Celtics are in the midst of an 18-game win streak and the best start in the history of their fabled franchise with a record of 26 wins and just two losses. While two thirds of the season still remains to be played, it may be time to start talking about the possibility of this being the greatest team, record-wise, in the history of the National Basketball Association.

To date, the ’95-96 Bulls led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are that team. The Bulls were virtually unbeatable, ending the season with 72 wins and just 10 losses en route to their fourth championship.

If the Celtics were to continue their current pace, their projected record would be 76 wins and six losses, a full four games better than the previous greatest team of all time.

While anything could happen over the remainder of the season, it remains to be seen how to dismantle a team with four potential All-Stars, and such clearly defined roles within the larger team concept. 

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“We wouldn’t know it because we work on our defense every day. On the days we have off, we come in and we really get after it, so it don’t feel like whatever it is,” said Garnett of the 18-game streak. “We come in and we work hard every day, we got a routine in which we get after it, and then we know that we still have room to improve so we’re trying to do that. We know we haven’t played the perfect game yet, so we’re always striving for that, but most importantly man, we’re trying to accomplish something within our own, and we’re working on that every day.”

The emergence of Rajon Rondo has catapulted the team to new heights. Last year he had to listen to the critics saying that a team couldn’t win with him as their starting point guard, and he silenced them in championship fashion. This year they have been saying that he couldn’t be an All-Star and of late his play is of All-Star calibre, sometimes looking like the best player on the floor amongst a team of future Hall of Famers.

When recently asked to compare Rondo’s game and what he bring to the Celtics to another player, Paul Pierce had to draw from a number of names.

“I don’t think there’s just one guy, I mean he’s a combination of Jason Williams, the way he goes around his back, Tony Parker, the way he shoots the floater and Gary Payton, the way he plays defense,” said Pierce. “There’s a number of guys. He’s a rare combination of skill, speed, athleticism, with tremendously long arms, and toughness. The way he rebounds at his size, he rebounds like Jason Kidd did at the point guard, so it’s rare to see a guy like Rondo, especially at his size.”

Despite the high praise for one another, the team seems focused and committed to being as good as they possibly can on a game-to-game basis. If that means setting the all-time win record in the process then great, but Garnett insists that it all starts with the defensive end and the refusal to look past anyone, no matter their record.

In a recent post game interview one reporter pointed out that the Celtics were shooting 82% following the first quarter to which Paul Pierce replied “we want 100%”, provoking KG to interject with, “You get us now?”

Such desire to improve couples with elite talent and professional experience to create a team that few can doubt. The win-streak is impressive enough, but the refusal to be satisfied with anything less than greatness is what sets apart the very good teams from the great. With so few franchises laying claim to teams in the latter category it seems only fitting that the Boston Celtics have yet another. When it’s all said and done the Celtics may be both the greatest franchise in league history, and the greatest team.

While already considered the greatest franchise, whether this year’s Celtics club will go down in history as the greatest team of all-time remains to be seen. What is certain however, is that a team so talented, so unselfish, and so committed to improving has as good a shot of doing so as any team since those ’96 Bulls, and whether they eventually pass them in the record books or not, you can bet your last dollar that come April it will be very close.

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