In an Orlando Sentinel article that is probably less interesting than the photo by which it’s accompanied, Rashard Lewis and Kevin McHale showed the Celtics some respect. Lewis says the Celtics still command the NBA’s admiration, even after injuries have left them reeling, while McHale, who isn’t very worried about Boston’s injury issues, said the C’s — when healthy –are the East’s best team.

Lewis:

“They’ve just got a lot of veteran guys on the team, very smart guys, but they still get the job done,” Orlando’s Rashard Lewis said. “They’re still one of the top teams in the league, so you can’t take that away from them.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for that team, and if you don’t have respect for that team, they’ll show you. So, I think you can’t look at them as an older team. They’re still a team that’s going after that trophy, and they very well have enough guys to go and win it.”

And McHale:

Kevin McHale likes that strategy. Now an analyst for NBA TV, the former Celtics star thinks Rivers is taking a smart approach with Boston’s veterans.

“I think he’s done a good job up there of keeping them from playing extended, extended minutes,” McHale said. “I think they’ve got plenty left in the tank for a run.

“I don’t think they really worry about the regular season much,” McHale added. “I just think they’ve got to find rhythm and get everybody healthy. When they’re healthy, I think they’re the best team in the Eastern Conference.”

Could the Celtics’ rebounding troubles have a lot to do with Kevin Garnet?

Garnett used to be a double-double machine. He was always a threat to lead the league in rebounding, and scored in double digits virtually every single game.

Don't just watch it... Grab it! (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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I haven’t lost my religion. Actually, I never had a religion until about a week ago. Being a Celtics fanatic and having a great passion for the team and the game of basketball, my new religion is based on my god Kevin Garnett.

While changing my religion to follow a basketball player seems quite unfathomable (and it is certainly a stretch of the truth), every Celtics fan should believe that Kevin is the savior of a team decimated just a few years ago with a record of 24-58. In the past 2 years, when Kevin was injured, the Celtics have been 23-13. This is a fine record, and would be still one of the best teams in the league. But, with Garnett in the lineup they are 75-27, which is absolutely incredible. With Garnett in the lineup they have about three times as many wins than when he’s not in the lineup, and only two times as many losses.

Garnett makes every player on the floor better, leading with his heart. He is the most passionate, energetic player I’ve ever seen. His love for the game can only be matched by the likes of Pistol Pete, a man who played for ten hours every day and lived to show the fans how fun and creative basketball could be.

Garnett’s rare love for his teammates allows the team to have cohesiveness rarely seen at the professional level. Even his talent — and he is one of the most talented players in the NBA — is hidden beneath the shadows of his excitment and love. He is the absolute epitome of a teammate.

Kevin is a floor general, a coach on the floor. He has brought much joy to the Celtics community, due to his kind heart and rather frightening skills.

So please bow down on your knees, praise the lord for bringing your team such a talent, and join the Church of Garnett.

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘There’s not a better low-post defensive team in the league than Boston,’ Van Gundy said. ‘I think they’ve got three of the premier interior defenders in the league, with Perkins and Rasheed Wallace and Garnett in there. They don’t really drop off when they have to go to the bench. (They’re) all big strong guys with good defensive technique, and they have played (Howard) very, very well.’ Said Howard of Perkins, ‘He’s a big body, but I can’t allow what he does on the floor to affect my game.’ When Perkins’ physical play was mentioned, Howard sniffed, ‘A lot of guys are physical. Just certain guys get away with physical play.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘I always look at the post-jump shot ratio when we go bad,’ Rivers said. ‘In the third quarter we went on a jump shooting binge, and I should have slowed it down and got us into the post. I told them (at halftime) I was upset at them for not sensing it. The action is going so fast sometimes that you can’t see it,’ he said. ‘I call it the three-shot barrier. We came down and took three straight 3’s, quick shots. Even if they’re open and making ’em, we have to have the discipline on the fourth one to slow it down and get it into the post.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “Regardless of the difficulties inherent with the schedule, Paul Pierce is setting the bar high as the Celtics approach full health. Forward Brian Scalabrine is expected to be available beginning Thursday, leaving guard Marquis Daniels as the only significant missing piece. ‘We set a goal of winning every game before the All-Star break,’ said Pierce. ‘It’ll be nice to get everybody back into it. We’ve played pretty much the whole season without a healthy [roster]. We’ll get everybody back and get rolling. It’s a long NBA season.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “His production is unquestioned, as is Rondo’s confidence. But being the fourth option on a team with three presumed Hall of Famers has left the former Kentucky guard somewhat of a mystery. He is cooperative with the media but hardly talkative. He is reserved to the point where Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge suggested he become more of a leader before signing him to a five-year, $55 million extension. But Rondo is marketable. He is a smooth, well-spoken player who has picked up Ray Allen’s dapper dressing style. Given that NBA commissioner David Stern just suspended two players for the remainder of the season for bringing guns on NBA premises, the league may be seeking new representatives. Rondo could be a prime candidate.”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “You’ve had Kevin Garnett back for a few games. How has it worked out? I think probably better than we expected after a guy was sitting out for a while, from being rusty and having his timing off. He’s been making shots, and making big shots for us down the stretch of games. You see the energy that he brings to our defense, and just the accountability and confidence he gives to our players when he’s on the court. It’s every bit as important as his production. He’s been huge, and health-wise he’s good. He looks great in practice. He’s still obviously not as bouncy as he was two years ago, but he’s better than he was last year and I think he’s better today then he was in training camp.”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Icing during games is apparently a new NBA trend, but Rivers said it is something he has yet to become comfortable with. ‘I think a lot of them do that. Perk does it. Paul does it. My problem with all three of them is they take forever to take it off,’ Rivers said. ‘Paul missed a substitution (Monday). Because I said ‘Paul’ and he’s doing like this (unwrapping his knee) and the clock stopped and by the time he finished, they put the ball in play and he couldn’t get to the table in time. We have to give them unwrapping lessons. Perk is quick but Kevin and Paul take forever. I am like what the hell’s going on.’”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.

Once in a while, someone else’s article catches my eye. Sometimes, it’s because the article is so spot-on I wish I’d written it myself. Other times, it’s because the article enlightens me with something I never knew. Still other times, it’s because I disagree with whatever’s written. No matter what the reason, I dish it off to another writer to make his/her point. You know, throwing some dimes.

1. CelticsBlog’s Greg Payne discusses what will happen to Tony Allen with the return of Marquis Daniels.

But now, with Daniels set to return at some point within the next month, Allen’s value to this team once again comes into question. Ironically though, he’s played so well throughout Daniels’ absence, that even though the Celtics might not absolutely need Allen, they might not be able to justifiably deny him. His overall game has been consistent enough, he’s performed to his expected level on defense and he’s kept his “boneheaded” plays to a minimum. You know, those plays where you might ask yourself what’s going through that head of his. Now that the Celtics don’t necessarily need him to perform, he’s having arguably his most consistent and productive season to date. His contributions have been valued and because of that consistency this season, there is next to no reason for the Celtics to think they cannot rely on him.

…except his entire career until this season. Allen has been great, but no matter how long this stretch of solid play continues, I will always fear the wheels will fall off at the exact wrong time.

2. In his mailbag, Chris Forsberg’s takes a look at whether Paul Pierce and Eddie House will earn a spot in the three-point contest.

The guess here is that Pierce will get the nod, particularly if he’s already in Dallas as an All-Star reserve. But it’s not like he hasn’t earned the chance regardless of if he plays in Sunday’s game. Pierce is now second in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 47 percent (he’s 20th overall in 3-pointers made with 71). Pierce has stressed numerous times this season how much work he’s put into developing that 3-point shot and he’s been by far the most consistent threat on the Celtics from beyond the arc.

As for House, he’d earn a spot based on reputation alone because his 3-point shooting has been rather abysmal this season (51-of-139, 36.7 percent). One year after shattering Danny Ainge’s franchise record for 3-point percentage (House shot 44.5 percent last season), House should probably take the extended break to revisit the basics rather than worry about an All-Star competition.

3. Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace sometimes look a lot worse than they do in basketball uniforms.

4. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton have been suspended for the rest of the season. If you don’t know why, I suggest you snap out of your coma.

5. Brian Robb from CelticsHub caught up with Doc Rivers and asked him about the team’s defensive rebounding.

Wanna throw your own dime, and get someone’s article recognized? Email me at jayking@celticstown.com or follow me on Twitter.

With the season halfway over, I thought it’d be a good time to hand out some mid-season awards. If the season ended yesterday, this is how I would distribute the awards…

MVP

• LeBron James- While this may seem like a completely obvious choice, until the Cavs recent tear that vaulted them to 35-11, the best record in the NBA, I would have given the award to either Kevin Durant or Dirk Nowitzki. But James has averaged 29.9 ppg, 7.8 apg, and 7.2 rpg while shooting 50% from the field WHILE leading a Cavs team that would be in the lottery without him to the best record in the NBA. Good enough for MVP in my book.

Rookie of the Year

• Tyreke Evans- It’s been a two-man race so far between Evans and Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, but after Jennings’ hot start he has fallen back to earth, shooting only 38% from the field for the season. Meanwhile, Evans has been the Sacramento Kings best player, averaging 20.8 ppg, 4.9 apg, and 4.8 rpg, and shooting nearly 46%.

Most Improved Player

• Rajon Rondo- Maybe I’m a homer, but Rondo has taken his game to the next level this season; he’s been Boston’s MVP so far and has established himself as the best PG in the Eastern Conference, and maybe the whole NBA (this season only). Rondo  is having a career-year in points, assists, steals, mpg,  and FG%. Rondo leads the NBA in steals and ranks third in assists, behind only Steve Nash and Chris Paul. Just compare Rondo’s production from last season to this season: Last Season: 11.9 ppg, 8.2 apg, 5.2 rpg, 1.9 spg, 50% FG.  This Season: 14.2 ppg, 9.7 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.5 spg, 53.4% FG.

Most Underrated Player

• Danny Granger- As it usually goes, Joe Johnson WAS the most underrated until everybody started calling him underrated. But how often do you hear about Danny Granger? Granger averaged 25.8 ppg and 5 rpg last season and this season, despite being hobbled by injuries, is still averaging 23.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg. It’s time this kid got a little love.

Most Underappreciated Player

• Carmelo Anthony- Yes, there is a difference between underrated and underappreciated. Everyone judging Anthony’s talents knows how talented he is, but for some reason he doesn’t get the superstar treatment some other players get. Anthony is second in the NBA in scoring at 29.7 ppg, while also adding 6.5 rpg and 3.3 apg AND his team is 30-14, second in the Western Conference. Yet somehow, Anthony never gets mentioned in the same breath as D-Wade, LeBron, or Kobe and a lot of media credit Chauncey Billups and not Anthony, for the Nuggets’ success! Anthony is one of most versatile scorers the NBA has ever seen, and it’s about time everybody starts appreciating his talent before it’s too late.

Biggest Surprise

Who knew former JailBlazer Zach Randolph, would one day lead a playoff push in Memphis? Not Z-BO.

• Zach Randolph- Renowned coach-killer, GM-killer, and selfish thug, Randolph has shocked the league with his fantastic play. Randolph is putting up a nightly 20-10, while leading the surprise Grizzlies to a potential playoff birth. I’m as baffled as the next guy as to WHY Randolph has emerged as the Grizzlies leader, but he’s kept it up long enough to earn an all-star bid.

Coach of the Year

• Lionell Hollins- Who?? Hollins is the coach of the aforementioned Memphis Grizzlies. Any coach that can get gunners Randolph, OJ Mayo, and Rudy Gay on the same page and contending for the playoffs has earned COY.

1st Team All-NBA

1. Steve Nash
2. LeBron James
3. Kevin Durant
4. Dirk Nowitzki
5. Dwight Howard

1st Team All-NBA Defense

1. Rajon Rondo
2. Gerald Wallace
3. Shane Battier
   
4. Josh Smith
5. Dwight Howard

If you disagree with my choices, or think I’m a complete moron who doesn’t know anything about the NBA, or if even if you like my choices, please comment on who YOU would hand out the midseason awards to. Looking forward to your responses!