They're Baaaack

After countless home losses to playoff contenders, the Celtics finally fleeced a good team on their home floor, clinching a post-season berth in the process.  So, after weeks of pedestrian play from the green team, they finally appear set to make a legit run.  I know this is not the same team as two years ago, but I'm starting to see glimpses of that group in this year's edition.  Unfortunately, I don't think Kevin Garnett will ever return to 100%, but he seems to be adjusting to some of his physical limitations, and redefining his role with this unit at the same time.  Also, with the roster (almost) completely healthy, guys are able to find their niche out on the floor, especially the bench players, who are ultimately fighting for minutes on a nightly basis.  Last night, the offense seemed pretty balanced, with almost everyone contributing in some fashion, and the defense did a nice job slowing down one the associations high-powered offenses.  The Rajon Rondo Show was in full effect last night against the Nuggets.  Mr. Rondo finished the night with a triple-double (11 pts, 11 reb, 15 assists), using his full arsenal of tricks to dazzle the Garden crowd.  I'm not sure which of his statistics I like more, the 11 rebounds, despite being the smallest guy on the floor, or the 15 assists, which is refreshing in an era of shoot-first point guards.  I'm not going to turn this into a Rondo gush fest, but I find it hard to make a case for any other player being more important to this team.  It's pretty simple; Rondo makes this team go.  When he's on, they're next to unstoppable, when he's not, they're noticably average.  With the Nuggets out of the way, the Celtics will continue to face some of the Western Conference's most dangerous clubs in the Spurs, Thunder, and Kings.  If the Celtics can continue to play well at home, they will take the crucial steps towards re-establishing a dominant home court, which is something they'll need if they have any aspirations of playing into late May, or even June.