The New Big 3?

While a press conference still has not been held, the deal is pretty much finalized. WEEI reported that Kevin Garnett's plane has landed in Boston. Paul Pierce is on his way to town as well. With this deal in place, the Celtics now may have a new Big 3 that could very well lead the team into the NBA finals this season.

As a Celtics fan, it's hard not to like a deal that improves us this much and more importantly makes the Boston Celtics relevant again. Steven A. Smith and Bill Simmons excited me even further last night, as their thoughts on the trade were very similar to mine. Both mentioned the types of players that comprise this trio. All have been in similar situations, carrying teams that appeared to be going nowhere. All are hungry for a championship. Must importantly, all are for the most part unselfish players who have put their team first and should be able to work together very well.

On the flip side, we have lost a lot, including great young talent like Jefferson, Green, and Gomes. However, Danny Ainge has stuck by his word that he was going to blow up the previous team, stockpile young assets, and pull off big deals to make us a contender. He has done this. Losing Jefferson hurts, and as much as we've seen him develop, he still isn't Kevin Garnett. Green has a lot of potential, but I think the Celtics marketing has done wonders in terms of us fans falling in love with these young guys who still haven't shown us a ton. I hate losing Gomes, but if it has to be done, it has to be done.

The Celtics main issue now is finalizing the roster, as the bench looks pretty thin after losing 5 players in the deal. We could still use a veteran point guard, probably another center, and maybe a backup swingman since Tony Allen is still coming off a pretty bad injury. For now though, I'll let the Garnett deal sink in and return in a day or two with thoughts on how we can complete this team and compete for number 17.