[Green Kool Aid]

Tickets go on sale at 1 o clock today, so I figured now would be a good time to start the thread.

I am very, very excited about the upcoming season. Then again, I always am very, very excited about Celtics season. I loosely follow the Patriots and UMass basketball, but the Celtics are an absolute obsession for me.

I went to Vegas to see non-roster scrubs play glorified pickup games. I read wayyyy too many rumor mill articles in May, June, and July. I get excited about the signing of players like Brandon Wallace and Jackie Manuel, frantically researching their basketball history.

This year is a weird feeling. For the first time in living memory, the Celtics are going into the season with expectations of making the NBA Finals. They have a legitimate franchise superstar in KG, and two all-star wing scorers in PP and Ray Allen.

Beyond the big three, I'm looking primarily at Rondo, Perkins, Posey, and TA to be the primary minute earners.

My concerns about the upcoming season

- Health of everyone, especially TA. There were several games before his injury where he was easily the best player on the floor. This includes a game last year that he harassed new teammate Ray Allen to a 15 point, 7 of 20 shooting, 5 turnover game, while scoring 23 points himself. He has been cleared to play, and is currently at "70 percent," whatever that means.
- Rajon Rondo is being praised by every basketball stat nerd, but he played MANY of his minutes during garbage time. Will he fare as well against Chris Paul, Baron Davis, and Jason Kidd as he did against that 14 year old looking kid on the Heat?
- Kendrick Perkins regressed from his '05-'06 form last year. He played injured, and I look for him to be at 7 boards, 1.5 blocks, and playing good D alongside KG.

I love the Celtics, and will be that guy watching pre-season games over Red Sox World Series games, or Patriots Monday Night Football, or anything else. Bring on the season, and banner 17.

GO CELTICS