In the 15th and final installation of the ESPN Boston Celtics summer forecast, our panel of 18 bloggers from eight Celtics blogs discuss the biggest strengths and weaknesses of the Boston Celtics.

The majority of the bloggers singled out either the  unity or the experience of the Celtics roster as their biggest strength.

I wrote:

STRENGTH: The Celtics biggest strength is their team chemistry. The team’s core has been through the wars and has survived the traps that can snag a team without warning. The returning Celtics know they can rely on the man standing next to them. That’s the kind of strength it takes to win a ring.

Jay added:

STRENGTH: Not to sound cliche or anything, but I’m about to sound really cliche: The heart of a champion is this team’s greatest strength. The Celtics don’t care who gets the stats, they don’t care who gets the glory. Everyone’s all about winning.

Experience, however, is often a euphimism for old. In basketball, old usually means injury-prone, and that’s what us bloggers were most worried about for the upcoming Celtics season. We have seen injuries derail the Celtics the past two seasons, and we know the injury-bug can strike at anytime on a team with so much…experience.

Make sure to read what Jay and I, and the rest of the Celtics bloggers, wrote about the Celtics biggest weakness on the ESPN Boston Celtics blog. And be sure to return often. Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) is the one of the hardest working bloggers/reporters in the sports industry, and did a phenomenal job putting together the Celtics summer forecast. We’d like to send a heartful ‘thank you’ to Chris for including us, and to our fellow bloggers for joining us in the fun.

In the 13th installment of the ESPN Boston Celtics summer forecast, 18 writers from eight Celtics blogs take a look at what production the Celtics can expect to get from the newest Celtic, Delonte West. Despite West’s multiple off-court issues (bi-polar disorder, 10-game suspension for carrying loaded weapons, possible affair with LeBron James’s mother), our panel expected West to play a significant role off the bench. Most writers expected West to be Ray Allen’s backup at the shooting guard position, but others felt West may play some point guard as well. Here’s what Jay and I had to say:

Jay King, CelticsTown (8 points, 3 assists, 18 minutes)

Delonte West, on the court, helps the Celtics. He’s a rugged defender, legitimate shooter, and he understands his role. Simply put, West is a winner. That’s the reason Danny Ainge called himself a big fan of West’s, and that’s the reason the Celtics signed West. He’s instantly the Celtics most talented, well-rounded guard off the bench, and his selflessness and toughness make him a coach’s dream — on the court, at least. But let’s not pretend West is perfect. He comes with a lot of baggage, after being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and later getting arrested while doing his best impersonation of Al Pacino in Scarface. That being said, with a strong support system led by Shaquille O’Neal (who West calls a big brother-type), Doc Rivers, and a few former teammates, West is in a good situation to succeed. Call me optimistic, but I’d be surprised to see another setback.

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Tommy King, CelticsTown (7.5 points, 2.5 assists, 18 minutes)

From a basketball standpoint, I am very excited about the Delonte West signing. West immediately usurps the backup shooting guard role from Von Wafer — no training camp necessary. West will bring toughness and consistency to a high-octane but sporadic second unit. West is a smart player who will do whatever needs to be done. In some games, West will score 15 points and focus on offense. Other times, when Shaquille O’Neal or Glen Davis are playing well, West will distribute the ball and focus on defense. West is also a player Doc Rivers can trust in crunch time, or in high-intensity playoff games.

For more predictions and insight on the enigma that is Delonte West, go ahead and check out the ESPN Boston Celtics summer forecast.

Doc Rivers never plays rookies. As a rookie in 2006-2007, even Rondo had to pay his dues, playing behind Sebastian Telfair for almost half the season. And that was on a 31-51 Boston Celtics team. So when Chris Forsberg asked the Celtics bloggers of the ESPN Boston Summer Forecast which Boston celtics rookie will have the biggest impact this season, we were understandably skeptical that ANY rookie would have an impact:

The question seemed innocent enough: Which of Boston’s rookies will have the biggest impact next season? Our acerbic-tongued panel of Celtics bloggers wasted little time pouncing on the query.

“Impact may be a strong word considering the coach of this team and his track record for splintering the hindquarters of his freshmen class with pine needles,” quipped Justin Poulin of Celtics Stuff Live.

Nick Gelso of North Station Sports added, “The rookies will all have a big impact — in the D-League!”

For my part, I added:

Tommy King, Celtics Town (No rookie impact)

None of the rookies will have an impact next season. Rivers is notorious for not playing rookies and, on a veteran-laden team pushing for a championship, these guys have very little chance of cracking the rotation.

Yet, despite the depth of this veteran team, some bloggers felt either Avery Bradley, or Luke Harangody would have a positive impact. Of the 18 panelists, nine voted for Bradley, six voted no rookie would have an impact, and three voted for Harangody. For the explanations from the panelists, and to read the entire article, click here.

The ESPN Boston summer forecast continues today and the question is, who will start at center, Jermaine O’Neal, or Shaquille O’Neal? 14 of the 18 Celtics bloggers thought that Jermaine O’Neal will be the starting center when the season tips off on October 26th. Here’s what Jay had to say:

If I were Doc Rivers, I’d start Jermaine O’Neal. Not that he’s better than Shaq (although he probably is), but Jermaine is just a better fit with the first unit. He blocks shots, doesn’t demand the ball and actually knows the basketball meaning of the term “hedge.” Plus, I like the idea of Shaq coming off the bench and the C’s pounding it into him for a few easy buckets. The second group could really benefit from the Diesel’s low-post scoring.

To read my response, and the response of the other Celtics bloggers, head over to the Celtics summer forecast. Leave a comment with YOUR opinion on who should, or will, start at center for the Boston Celtics.

 Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston has put together a panel of 15 writers from six of the best Celtics blogs, including Celtics Town, to forecast how the season will unfold for the Boston Celtics.

The summer forecast begins today with the question, how many games will the Celtics win this season?  Forsberg predicted the the Celtics will win 56 games, while I predicted 54, and Jay, 52. (ESPN Boston)

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston (56 wins)

 

The Celtics were so frustratingly inconsistent over the final four months of the 2009-10 season, it seems impossible for their win total not to climb next year. Let’s remember that Boston played .500 ball over the final 54 games of the season (going 27-27 after a 23-5 start) and, admittedly, went into “get healthy” mode while stumbling to the finish line (and all but ceding the third seed in the Eastern Conference along the way). It’s impossible to think the Celtics will be worse at home, where they dropped a staggering 17 games at the TD Garden. This after losing 12 home games combined over the first two seasons that the Big Three were united. That said, it’s also unlikely the Celtics can be as dominant on the road, where they put together a 26-15 mark, tying Cleveland for the second-best road record in the league behind only Dallas (27-14). Playing in a cupcake Atlantic Division where second-place Toronto lost its best players and three sub-30-win teams (New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey) are likely to improve only marginally, Boston could easily challenge for 60 wins if it stays healthy. Let’s remember this team won 66 and 62 games, respectively, the previous two seasons. Health will dictate exactly how this team fares, but a six-win upgrade seems reasonable (and necessary for the playoff seedings that we’ll examine tomorrow).

To read Jay’s reasoning, and the answers of the rest of the Celtics bloggers, check out the summer forecast. Don’t forget to check back each day to read our answers to some of the more pressing questions concerning the Boston Celtics during the upcoming season.

Pierce looks sharp, but I'm sick of seeing him in a suit on the bench.

At practice today, as always super-sleuth Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston brought us the important news, via his twitter account:

Doc says Pierce and Daniels both remain 50/50 for tomorrow.

This tweet wouldn’t be all that exciting if it wasn’t followed shortly by news that Pierce practiced along with these tweets:

Marquis Daniels deems himself ready to go if Doc Rivers green-lights him Sunday.

Paul Pierce says he’s ready to play tomorrow. If decision is his, he’ll go.

Doc has talked all season long about how the long-term health of his players is his biggest focus, but if both Daniels and Pierce are saying they are ready to play Sunday against the Orlando Magic, I can’t believe that Doc will hold them out. I’m looking forward to Pierce’s and Daniels’ returns, and to a great game on Sunday.

What a great sports day. Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic at 2:30 ET and then Colts vs. Saints in the Super Bowl at 6:30 ET. A day filled with large quantities of food (preferably pizza and wings), beer, and great sports. The American Way.