Mr. Pavlovic, the floor is yours.

(Editor’s note: Merry Christmas, everyone. Or happy holidays, whatever have you. Thanks for reading.)

It seemed like this day would never come. Not Christmas, but the beginning of the NBA season, the very season that once was in jeopardy because hard-line owners met a players union that didn’t want to lose everything it had fought for in the previous six and a half decades. After billions of dollars worth of concessions, threats of a hard cap that never came to fruition and a ridiculously rushed preseason, training camp and free agency period, Christmas Day brings us a bundle of five NBA games, featuring nine of the NBA’s best, most watchable and most exciting teams… and also the Golden St. Warriors. Hand down, man down. Momma, there goes that halfway decent NBA team that just threw $7 million at Kwame Brown.

The Celtics –- who officially signed Mickael Pietrus last night while I was enjoying Christmas Eve dinner with my family –- enter today’s 12 p.m. tilt in Madison Square Garden as five-point underdogs. Agree with the point spread or not, it symbolizes the new expectations in Bean Town. It’s still possible for the Celtics to win an NBA championship, but they no longer rest at or even very near the top of preseason predictions. It’s at least as easy (and probably easier) to envision an injury-riddled season followed by a first-round exit than it is to picture Kevin Garnett clenching his second championship hat and telling the entire world that anything is possible.

Boston still features three definitive Hall of Famers in its starting lineup, and it remains fact that none of those Hall of Famers are Boston’s best player –- that would be Rajon Rondo, the temperamental point guard with a broken down jump shot who nonetheless manages to impact every aspect of a game. Boston’s bench has been almost entirely rebuilt — only two substitutes return from last season, Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic, and neither is expected to play much of a role. Doc Rivers is ecstatic by the lack of boneheads playing behind the Celtics starters. It’s safe to say we’ll see fewer tears shed on the bench, fewer 27-foot pull-up jumpers shot in transition, fewer games when we wonder whether Boston’s reserves have any idea whatsoever what Rivers wants them to accomplish.

What’s unclear at this point is whether that bench has enough playmaking and firepower to overcome the inevitable nights when Paul Pierce won’t fly so high, Kevin Garnett won’t move as swiftly and Ray Allen’s trifectas simply won’t fall. The NBA’s new compressed schedule means old legs will be forced into playing more games in a shorter timeframe; while it’s unclear exactly how that will affect teams, it seems safe to say benches this season will have a more prominent role. Boston’s bench should be reliable — Danny Ainge has assembled a crew of defensive-minded veterans who are okay with playing smaller roles, a crew that was fortified by the Pietrus signing, which pushes Bradley,  E’Twaun Moore and Sasha Pavlovic further into the background while providing Boston with a reliable defender who can hit open shots (and sometimes falls in love with contested ones). While adding Pietrus will undoubtedly help, it did nothing to address Boston’s startling lack of playmakers in the second unit. With the exception of Brandon Bass, a natural-born buckets-getter, Boston’s bench is bereft of players who can create open looks for themselves or others, and will need to rely heavily on running the offense well to manufacture shots.

It’s become clear that Boston is never meant to face an easy path. The Celtics are all too familiar with the roads less traveled, roads that have in the past three seasons caused Garnett to miss the entire postseason, Kendrick Perkins to miss Game 7 of the NBA Finals and Rajon Rondo to fall victim to a cringe-worthy elbow injury that left the Celtics’ biggest threat essentially one-handed. That is not to make excuses or to claim that the Celtics would be four-time defending champions without their rash of ill-timed injuries – it’s unclear how Boston would have fared while fully healthy in 2009 and 2010, and last year it was quite clear that Boston lost to a better Miami Heat team. But the Celtics have had unreasonably bad luck during the past three seasons, from Garnett’s knee to Perkins’ knee to Rondo’s elbow to the O’Neal brothers’ entire bodies. And by “unreasonably bad luck,” I mean the Celtics are fighting age and bodies that don’t work quite like they used to, and will likely need to fight the same issues this season. Really, it doesn’t have much to do with luck, but with the wear and tear that’s accumulated during long careers. Considering that the Celtics’ starting five now includes players who are 33, 34, 35 and 36 years old (and the 33-year old is Jermaine O’Neal), expect numerous nights when you look in the box score and more than one player is marked by the term “DNP-[body part]”. Injuries to any of those starters could destroy Boston’s already tenuous title hopes.

The key will be entering the playoffs healthy, a goal that is quite ambitious, and even perfect health might not be enough. The Miami Heat are one year more cohesive and just added Shane Battier to solidify their bench. The Chicago Bulls have had more time to become acclimated with Tom Thibodeau’s system and Derrick Rose certainly shouldn’t take a step back in his development. The Los Angeles Clippers added Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, and Blake Griffin might leap through the rafters (both literally and figuratively) during his second year. The Lakers still have Kobe, the Mavericks still have Dirk (not to mention a supporting cast that’s probably even more talented than last year’s, if not as cohesive) and Oklahoma City might have the world’s most talented basketball team.

And then there’s New York, today’s opponent. It’s unclear whether Mike D’Antoni can instill a defensive system to stop anybody. It’s unclear to what extent Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire can peacefully co-exist while also lifting their teammates to another level. It’s unclear whether the Knicks will need to sign the hot dog vendor to a ten-day contract to play point guard. But the Knicks have two of the NBA’s most talented scorers, one of the NBA’s best defensive centers (Tyson Chandler) and – for the first time in a decade or more – real hopes of advancing deep into the playoffs. One gets the feeling the Knicks are a defensive mentality (or a defensive system, if you want to put some blame on the coach) away from becoming true contenders. Even with Anthony and Stoudemire, the Knicks might find it hard to win shootouts every night because the rest of their roster simply isn’t very talented.

The Celtics ousted the Knicks from the playoffs last year in four straight games. But it’s a new year and two new teams. Both are fringe title contenders. Neither is expected to be the elite of the elite, but if everything goes right, both of the squads who meet at noon today have a chance at holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy when everything’s said and done.

It’s Christmas Day and we have 66 Celtics games ahead of us in the next 120 days. Although Boston’s no longer a prohibitive favorite, the same championship aspirations exist, although this year a ring seems considerably more improbable.

Even if the Celtics don’t raise another banner, even if Boston flames out in a first- or second-round exit, we get the chance to watch the Big Three era continue this season. When the court rooms threatened to ruin the entire NBA season, that opportunity wasn’t always promised.

Enjoy today. Enjoy this season. We don’t know how much longer this will last.

Paul Pierce remains doubtful for Sunday’s season opener against the Knicks, leaving Sasha Pavlovic as Boston’s likely starter. (ESPN Boston)

That sound you hear off in the distance? No, it’s not 29 NBA teams laughing at Boston’s expense. It’s Danny Ainge begging Mickael Pietrus to sign with Boston.

“You don’t think we need you enough, Mickael? WE’RE STARTING SASHA PAVLOVIC ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AGAINST CARMELO ANTHONY!!”

“But I never said you guys didn’t need me.”

“AND OUR BACKUP SHOOTING GUARD ROTATION CONSISTS OF A ROOKIE SECOND-ROUNDER AND A SECOND-YEAR PLAYER WHO SPENT A WEEK IN THE SUMMER WITH DOC RIVERS BECAUSE HE WAS SO DISPLEASED BY THE WAY LAST SEASON WENT!!”

“Mr. Ainge, I get it. Didn’t you hear I’m leaning toward choosing you guys if nobody’s dumb enough to pick me up off waivers??

“AND DID I SAY WE’RE PROBABLY STARTING SASH— oh, that’s great news. Terrific, Mickael. I hope you choose us.”

Kevin Garnett is a basketball Confucius, somebody who can describe the process of making tortillas while actually attempting to explain team chemistry. When Garnett speaks about his inner machinery, he is always entertaining, always original and normally spot on. You could make a self-help book using just quotes that Garnett has uttered throughout his career, and it would probably become a best-seller (even if Channing Frye, Joakim Noah, Charlie Villanueva and most other NBA big men probably wouldn’t buy a copy).

Yesterday, Garnett again waxed philosophical, this time about his career and whether thoughts of retirement have begun to creep into his head. He didn’t discuss tortillas or make any other Garnettian metaphors, but Garnett offered a glimpse into his mentality and the gratitude he feels for being a part of Boston’s culture. (Boston Herald)

“You know, I haven’t even put those words in my mouth,” Garnett said of the coach’s swan song sentiment. “I haven’t even thought like that. My thing is this year. Focus on this year. Work till you get better. Improve, improve, improve. I ask Doc, ‘What do I need to work on to continue to make myself better, to continue to keep my mind fresh and continue to be aggressive and just progress?’

“Stagnation is dark. Movement is light. So I like to keep that, and I like to think like that.” …

Garnett seems the least likely of the three to hang on when it might be time to go, but that belief may come just from the fact he squeezes so much out of now.

“I’m a reality person,” Garnett said. “I see and deal with reality every day, and I know that people have lives and we’re human beings. I never take anything for granted, so you’re right.

“We came in and won it (an NBA title) in ’08. I wanted like hell to win in ’09 and ’10 and last year. I’m figuring that anything can happen in life.” …

“No disrespect to my early years in Minnesota — with Sam Mitchell and Terry Porter and Steph (Marbury) and Gugs (Tom Gugliotta) and Malik (Sealy), rest in peace, and Spree (Latrell Sprewell) — I have to say these last five years in Boston have been some of the most cultural and most well-deserving when it comes to players,” he said. “Man, the players I’ve been able to play with have been some of the most professional, if not outstanding talents.

“When you come in this league, you already know you’ve got to have some type of swagger if not confidence, and we’ve been able to put that to the side — the egos, all that — and try to actually achieve a goal every year. Wholeheartedly and honestly. A lot of guys wouldn’t do that. A lot of guys wouldn’t make the sacrifice of their own game and give it up for the next guy. And that’s a tribute to Doc Rivers, along with the guys who are in there.

“So these years have been fruitful years for me, man — years that overshadowed the others. I can recall some of the years, but I’m just so in the present and in the moment that I’m just really, really grateful for the opportunity that I have.”

Hate Garnett all you want. I understand why. He can be a jackass. He elbows foes. Ball taps them. Screams obscenities (or sometimes just nonsense) inches away from their faces. Crawls on all fours. I’m sure I’m missing a lot of other mishaps Garnett’s made over the years too, but you get the point. It’s easy to dislike Garnett, at least when he’s on the court.

But I get the feeling he’s one of the most self-aware superstars the NBA has ever seen. He knew everything that was wrong in Minnesota, but he tried to make it work. Now he’s in Boston, the culture is infinitely better, his teammates are infinitely better, and Garnett just wants to keep progressing, just wants to win another title. He’s thankful for Doc Rivers, thankful for a crop of teammates willing to sacrifice, thankful for the chance to contend alongside talented teammates who — like Garnett — care more about winning than stats. I get the feeling that Garnett sees everything — good and bad — and has a powerful ability to prioritize it all and to put life’s events into perspective far more impressively than the average person.

Which is why I love that he’s becoming a mentor to Rajon Rondo. (ESPN Boston)

Their relationship hasn’t been issue-free, Rondo admitted.

“We go at it a lot,” he said. “I think we have similar personalities. We got into it a lot our first couple years.”

“I got into it with a lot of people my first couple years,” Rondo added, laughing.

Still, as he enters his sixth season with the Celtics and his fifth with Garnett, the 25-year-old Rondo said the two are now closer than ever.

“We’re learning each other,” Rondo said, “and Kevin’s one of my best friends on the team right now. When [Kendrick Perkins] left I think it kind of made us closer. Kevin and I have talked a lot lately. We try to stay on the same page, both working on our attitudes for the better of the team, and me just growing up as a leader. He’s been one of my mentors.

“I’m getting older now. But I’m still young, I think. It’s been a great time, a great journey here being a Celtic … But what we have now, we just gotta continue to get better and try to win a championship.”

Stagnation is dark. Movement is light. I’m telling you, Garnett should write a book.

Mickael Pietrus, who was waived yesterday and has a swollen knee that resulted in a failed physical exam earlier this offseason, is reportedly “leaning heavily” toward signing with the Boston Celtics. (CSNNE)

Mickael Pietrus, recently released by the Phoenix Suns, is leaning “heavily” towards signing with the Boston Celtics, according to a league source.

Pietrus must first clear waivers — that won’t happen until 6 p.m. Saturday — but it’s highly unlikely that any team will want to pick up the $5.3 million he is owed this season. …

His agent, Bill McCandless, would not say whether Pietrus would sign with the C’s.

However, he did tell CSNNE.com that the C’s would be on his short list of teams if he cleared waivers.

“He’s only 29, so he’s not like Charles Barkley or some other older players running around, chasing a championship,” McCandless said. “But he wants to be with a playoff team, and have a chance to contribute.”

Ordinarily, adding a stand-still shooter like Pietrus would not be ideal for a team starved for bench playmaking. People who remember all the times Pietrus drilled clutch triples for Orlando will probably disregard this next thought, but the Frenchman is nothing more than a rich man’s Sasha Pavlovic — both are tall, athletic, long small forwards who tend to sit on their thumbs rather than make legitimate offensive plays. But considering that Boston has only the veteran’s minimum to spend, precious few difference-making free agents remain on the market, and Pavlovic is two days away from playing a significant role in Boston’s season opener, these aren’t ordinary times.

Pietrus is admittedly far better than Pavlovic and a more explosive scorer — just like most guys who have ever played in the NBA — which is exactly why the Celtics probably called his agent the second Pietrus was waived. Not only would Pietrus solve the Pavlovic problem (if Paul Pierce remains injured or Marquis Daniels gets injured at any point this season, Doc Rivers will have no choice but to rely on Pavlovic), his versatility would also give the Celtics another option at shooting guard, where Avery Bradley and E’Twaun Moore surely do not strike fear into the hearts of Erik Spoelstra or Tom Thibodeau. That’s not to say Pietrus would strike fear into their hearts either, but he’s a young-ish (29), defensive-minded, athletic veteran who has played a role on several playoff teams and always seemed to drill big shots against the Celtics. He’s not perfect, but — if healthy — he would instantly upgrade two positions on Boston’s bench.

For the veteran’s minimum, you can’t really argue with that.

If I don’t have a Greg Stiemsma jersey by Christmas Day, an ocean of tears will be shed. McStiemy survived the cut!