The Truth is ... Paul Pierce is a Boston legend

We've been fortunate over the past decade to witness several ring ceremonies and banner raisings in Boston. But not one of those ever had the emotion that came with the Celtics Ring Night tonight in Boston.

Other championships carried more significance than No. 17 for the Green. The Pats ended 16 years of total failure for all New England sports, opening the flood gates for the current prosperity in Beantown. The Sox ended an 86-year draught that had captivated the region and caused such heartbreak over the years. The Celtics championship was great for ending a 22-year span of futility, but most people would not rank it ahead of Vinatieri's game-winner (twice) or Keith Foulke's underhand toss to first.

But this one was special for one reason: Paul Pierce

When the captain grabbed that championship trophy at the start of the ceremony, the tears were already flowing. By the time he came out to retrieve his ring, he was flat-out bawling. And when the Celtics raised No. 17 to the immortal rafters, he was totally overcome with emotion.

Pierce represented everything that we ask from our athletes tonight. He poured his heart and soul into a losing franchise for 10 years, never looking to be traded or to leave via free agency. We want our athletes to care as much as we do, and we're normally let down, but not by Paul Pierce. The Truth is, Pierce legitimately cares even more than the rabid Boston fan base, and that's refreshing.

Oh, and by the way, Pierce is also pretty darn good on the court too. He just passed Bob Cousy for fifth place in scoring on the all-time greatest franchise in the NBA (no debate). One day we'll remember Paul Pierce in the same light we remember Larry Bird, Carl Yastremski and Tedy Bruschi.

Every Celtics player earned their ring tonight except Scalabrine (kidding ... kind of), but none deserved it more than Pierce. 

The NBA: Where the real Big Game James plays

2008-09 NBA Finals prediction

I'm making some pretty bold predictions for this NBA season, including Miami, Portland and the Clippers sneaking into the playoffs. But somehow I made the popular finals picks of New Orleans and Boston. 

I'm ashamed of my lack of creativity and courage, but as Bill Belichick is fond of saying, "it is what it is."

So here goes: the 2008 NBA Champions will be...

1. New Orleans def. 1. Boston

Celtics fans will cheer James Posey when he comes back for the Finals, then lament his return as he hits the game-winning shot in game 7 in the Garden. The sad thing will be that no one can really get mad at him since he meant so much to the 2008-09 team.

Where 17 happens: Eastern Conference preview

And now, what you've all been waiting for ... the 2008-09 Eastern Conference Preview. The West is really just a battle for second place, as Larry Bird once said about the 3-point contest. Well, that's not entirely true, but the road to the title will have to go through one tough team from the East at some point. The West is deeper, but there may not be a better team in the league than Boston, so let the debating begin.

Stick around for the playoff predictions at the bottom ...

1. Boston – The Celtics lost their top bench player from last season in James Posey, but as important as Posey was to the team’s success, he was still a bench player. The starting five returns along with much of the bench that led them to a title. They’re still the champs until someone knocks them off.

2. Cleveland – Lebron James doesn’t have his Scottie Pippen yet, but Mo Williams is a step up over Wally (Wendy’s older brother) Szczerbiak. The King almost beat the champs last year by himself, and now he has a slightly better chance to take the next step.

3. Detroit – Don’t sleep on these guys for the same reason you shouldn’t sleep on the Spurs. They’re older and not much improved, but they’re not just going to fall off the map either after going to the conference finals last year. The core is the same, but it’s a pretty good core.

4. Toronto – Chris Bosh emerged as a legitimate superstar in the Olympics. Sure it’s a different game over here, but the world finally got to see how good this kid can be. Pair him with Jermaine O’Neal in the middle and Jose Calderon on the outside, and the Raptors have a shot.

5. Philadelphia – Elton Brand plus Andre Iguodala and a cast of strong young players equals immediate contention. It’s still tough to call the Sixers a serious title contender when Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract averages more than 15 minutes per game.

6. Orlando – While Chris Bosh emerged in Beijing, Dwight Howard looked far more human than the Superman we thought he was becoming. The Magic have some skills, but Lewis and Turkoglu are too soft to carry them if Howard has an off night.

7. Washington – Arenas is out for a while, but the Wiz actually looked like a better team at times last year without Agent Zero. If they get out to a hot start, don’t be surprised if people in D.C. tell their $100 million man to take his time coming back.

8. Miami – Dwayne Wade is back. Not to keep harping on the Olympics, but no one had a bigger coming out party than Wade, who proved he’s still a stud and can carry a team when healthy. Beaseley and Marion make up a very talented cast that’s only lacking bench depth to be a top team.

9. Atlanta – The Hawks caught the Celtics at the right time at the beginning of the playoffs last year and almost pulled the miraculous upset. They’re the real wild card this season as the progression or regression of their young players can change their fortunes drastically.

10. Chicago – The Bulls are coming off one of the most disappointing NBA seasons in recent memory. This year the expectations are far lower, but don’t expect much more from a club whose veteran players are Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich.

11. Charlotte – There’s enough talent here to win a few games, but there aren’t any glue guys to bring it all together. Odds on Larry Brown having heart trouble this year: 3-2.

12. Milwaukee – Richard Jefferson makes them a better team and Michael Redd is always fun to watch, but go ahead and name one more decent player on the Bucks. Joe Alexander was the most overhyped player in the draft this year so he doesn’t count. NOTE: The Bucks are so boring I incorrectly had them listed on the Western Conference preview yesterday and Angry Craig didn’t even comment to make fun of me.

13. Indiana – Roy Hibbert’s supposed to get me excited for this season? Sorry Pacers fans, this one’s going to take a while to rebuild.

14. New York – Isiah is still on the payroll even if he’s not the coach or GM anymore, which is good enough reason to put them near the bottom of the East.

15. New Jersey/Brooklyn – Can the Nets just come out and say that they’re openly positioning themselves for a run at Lebron when his contract is up? Keep trading away your best assets N.J. and see how much the King wants to play for a loser. Hey, at least you still have Jay-Z.

ROUND 1
1. Boston def. 8. Miami

2. Cleveland def. 7. Washington

6. Orlando def. 3. Detroit

5. Philadelphia def. 4. Toronto

ROUND 2
1. Boston def. 5. Philadelphia

2. Cleveland def. 6. Orlando

EASTERN FINALS
1. Boston def. 2. Cleveland

Western Conference outlook part 2

It's pretty pointless to pick playoff winners in October, but it's also pretty fun. Considering I picked the Tennessee Titans to win six games this year (they're 7-0), my predictions need to be taken with a truck-full of salt. But hey, it's always fun to look back after the fact and realize how dumb you were.

So here goes...

ROUND 1
1. New Orleans def. 8. LA Clippers

2. LA Lakers def. 7. Portland

3. Houston def. 6. Phoenix

5. San Antonio def. 4. Utah

ROUND 2
1. New Orleans def. 5. San Antonio

2. LA Lakers def. 3. Houston

WEST FINALS
1. New Orleans def. 2. LA Lakers

Let the criticism begin

The NBA: Where meaningless fall games happen

We’re just about 24 hours away from Banner 17 night at the TD Banknorth Garden, and it’s time to start looking ahead at the 2008-09 season. This night couldn’t come at a more perfect time, with baseball season at a close in Boston and the Patriots showing promise, but still probably a piece or two short of being a Super Bowl team.

For the first time in probably two decades, it’s time to get legitimately excited for the start of the NBA season.

Let’s start it out with a little Western Conference preview for the upcoming season.

1. New Orleans – The Hornets were just about as talented as the Lakers last year, led by their superstar Chris Paul (who is still only 23) and a strong cast of young players. All they really lacked was a veteran role player to add into the mix. Cue James Posey who seems to bring championships to every team he goes to. They’re the team to beat in the West.

2. Los Angeles – The best team in the West last year brings back it’s core and adds budding star Andrew Bynum back into the mix. Why no more love than second? It’s because they looked so soft in the playoffs and history shows us that tough teams (see Detroit, San Antonio and Boston) get it done in the clutch.

3. Houston – The Rockets have a big three now too, and it’s a pretty solid crew. Last year they made a run with just a banged up McGrady; now they get Yao back from injury and one of the best grinders in the game in Ron Artest. Rafer Alston is the key just like Rondo was the key for the Celtics last year.

4. Utah – The Jazz have a great foundation with Boozer and Williams as their stars. They have the support pieces with Kirilenko and Harpring to go with them as well. Plus, any team that employs Gerry McNamara is OK by me. NOTE: if the Jazz cut G-Mac by the start of the season they will drop to six in the rankings. The man’s a winner.

5. San Antonio – Ginobli’s out for the opening portion of the season and they appear to be getting a little older. Strangely though, Manu’s injury may be a blessing when he’s healthy and rested come playoff time. Don’t count this bunch out ever.

6. Phoenix – This is how tough the West is this year: a team with a healthy Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash is the sixth best in the conference. This team is legitimately very good, but it’s tough to put them any higher based on the competition.

7. Portland – The Blazers went from one of the worst teams in the league to a .500 team in the toughest conference ever. Now they add Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez to the mix. Fortunately for them, this team is too young to be intimidated by the competition.

8. Los Angeles Clippers – No Elton Brand this year, but the Clippers at least added Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. Eric Gordon and Davis should make up a tough backcourt and Camby and Al Thornton will be beasts down low. This team has a real shot at breaking the playoff drought.

9. Dallas – The Mavs are slipping. Dirk has not been the same stone-cold killer since the Mavs lost in the Finals in ’06 and Jason Kidd is a shell of himself. They’ll still put up some numbers and win some games, but they’re run as a title contender is over.

10. Denver – The Nuggets didn’t play any defense last year, so what do they do? Trade away their best defensive player (Marcus Camby). They could average 140 points per game this year and still finish below .500.

11. Oklahoma City – In the words of one Jim Calhoun, “They’re not bad.” Believe it or not the Franchise Stealers…er…Thunder could be half decent this year. Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and a passionate fan base should make them anything but a guaranteed win for opponents.

12. Minnesota – The T-Wolves are better than you may think. Al Jefferson is a budding star and the bizzarro Celtics should be able to build around him and Ryan Gomes in the future. If Kevin Love can stay on the floor the Wolves will win a few games this year.

13. Memphis - They can fly with Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and the Hack Man Warrick, but can they play? They'll at least be the most fun bad team to watch (if that makes sense).

14. Golden State – Baron Davis is gone and Monta Ellis is out indefinitely. It’s hard to find something positive coming out of Oakland this year.

15. Sacramento – Donte Green could be the best player on this team by the end of the season. Enough said.

Guess who's back

It's been easy to overlook Dwyane Wade over the past two seasons. After winning the Finals MVP in 2006, he hasn't played in more than 50 games in a season, and that status that he had just claimed as an elite player was seemingly fading away.

But don't sleep on Wade now; he's showing us in Beijing what he's still capable. Wade finally looks healthy and he looks like, well, 2005-06 Dwyane Wade. He came into today's game second in the Olympics with 18 points per game (trailing just Manu Ginobli). And all he did today was go 8-12 from the field for 16 points and 6 rebounds.

He's also making plays on the defensive end, creating a steal that led to a breakaway dunk. Oh yeah, and he flushed a monster jam in the first half that showed just how much more talented the U.S. players are than the rest of the players in the world. 

But really, Wade's production has never faltered. He's averaged at least 24 points in each of the last four seasons. So if he's healthy, which he finally seems to be, look for Dwyane Wade to be one of the top players in the NBA again this season.