NBA 2013-2014 Season Preview: Boston Celtics

Marshon Brooks surprised NBA critics and fans alike during his rookie season in 2012. A late pick in the first round, Brooks averaged close to 13 points (12.6) as a starter for the Nets before regressing last season due to injury and the signing of Deron Williams.

However, the Providence product has matured since his rookie year and under the guidance of Rondo, will become a solid back-up for the Celtics and could emerge as one of the league’s premier guards.

Kris Humphries has been second-guessed and considered a joke his entire career. What the Celtics got with Humphries, however, is an underrated power forward who is in his prime and is capable of putting up a double-double every night (he averaged one during the Net’s ’11-’12 season).

The ex-husband of Kim Kardashian will provide the Celtics with a solid 30-minutes of play, where he will be an above-average defender and dependable offensive threat. While certainly a downgrade from Garnett, a Humphries/Bass might emerge as a strong weapon for Boston.

Gerald Wallace has always been one of my most favorite players to watch, and it wasn’t because he had ridiculous hair. A physical specimen, what Wallace lacked in skill, he made up in pure effort. Capable of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds (he did it in Charlotte), Wallace could throw the ball down with authority and play aggressive defence, making him a top player in the NBA.

Gerald Wallace

Unfortunately, the label of “top player” vanished last season as he forgot how to shoot the ball, shooting less than 40% from the field. Now, to put that in perspective, Danny Green shot better from beyond the arc last year. He also sagged off on his rebounding and played poor defence.

It was by far his worse year in the league and with $30 million owed to him over the next three years, the Nets were eager to unload his contract.

So while the Celtics get an overpaid veteran, it is possible that he could bounce back from his poor performance and revert back to the old Gerald Wallace.

And if not, it would be useful to keep him around to mentor Jeff Green, who has a similar body type and skill set to Wallace. When Green is aggressive (which he often isn’t), he is virtually unstoppable. Having a physical 12-year veteran to further mentor him could do wonders for his confidence and mold him into a franchise player.

As much as I enjoy watching Celtic fans tear up over the departure of their beloved captain, I imagine that they will all be pleasantly surprised with the performance of their new team.