Eight days ago, Carlos Arroyo was released by the Miami Heat to make room for Mike Bibby, the point guard they felt most confident with moving forward. Since Arroyo last stepped on the court for the South Beach Superstars, the team has lost 6 of its last 7 games and looks to be in complete free fall. Meanwhile, Danny Ainge picked up his phone and took a shot at the recently available Arroyo. For the point guard, it was a no-brainer to come to Boston.
He handled his interview like a true professional on Tuesday, showing no hostility toward the Heat and no desire for revenge. He expressed a desire for one thing and one thing only -- winning a championship. Didn't take him long to buy into the Celtic way, huh?
From the team's standpoint, the signing of Arroyo might be the last piece to the puzzle. Looking at Boston's newly constituted roster, 5 of the 15 players were recently acquired in the past few weeks. Of the remaining 10 players, virtually none of them seem to be on their way out of town. So this is the roster that Danny Ainge and the Celtics feel comfortable with moving forward. The question is -- is it championship caliber?
To me, I say yes. Everyone was ripping apart Danny Ainge for trading away Kendrick Perkins a few weeks ago, but here we are today with a Boston squad that looks more equipped than ever to win a title. Jeff Green has looked more and more like the player we thought we were getting, pouring in 21 points in a winning effort last week. Nenad Krstic has certainly held his own down low, and the return of Shaq and Jermaine will do great measures in further bolstering that post game. Troy Murphy will be called upon to make contributions -- not be the centerpiece. For a guy who was once a walking double-double, Murphy can definitely be a factor in building an all-around team. And with the acquisition of Carlos Arroyo, Boston has secured themselves a true back-up point guard. Arroyo is a guy who can run a team on his own, a guy who isn't any type of liability on the court. Nate Robinson was Boston's late-season acquisition last year, and he provided some great spark -- but he was a bit of a liability when it came to running an entire unit as the point guard. Doc Rivers and the rest of the staff expect that problem to be solved with the arrival of Arroyo in the backcourt.
The newcomers are all excited about this team. Guys like Jermaine O'Neal -- the first person Arroyo called once becoming a member of the Celtics -- have proclaimed that this is by far the best team they have ever played on. Players are buying into the system, and they're forming the Celtic family both on and off the court. You have to love the enthusiasm and the chemistry going on in that locker room, on the bench, and on the court. I cannot say whether this team is good enough to make another title run, but I can surely tell you that each and every guy in that room believes they are fully capable.
