Can the Celtics Win 70?

Don’t think so? Maybe you should start considering it. The Celtics just completed a 91-69 beat down of the New Jersey Nets at home, defeating their division rival by double digits for the second time in this short season. In one short summer, Danny Ainge has turned his woeful team into the New England Patriots of the Eastern Conference. KG, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce have fit together like a puzzle; Garnett has established himself as the early favorite for MVP, with Pierce and Allen playing exactly like they did in their primes. No team in the Eastern Conference looks half as good as Doc Rivers’ bunch right now. The stats prove it; Boston’s 17.4 average differential per game is more than double the second place Pistons at 7.4. Judging by the relative ease Boston has handled its early stretch, and the lack of major contenders in the Eastern Conference, it becomes inevitable to ask: Are the Celtics good enough to win 70 games?

Many have tried, but only the 1995-96 Bulls with the immortal Michael Jordan were able to do it, going a remarkable 72-10 that year. Just last year Dallas was close, winning 67 games, but if you take into account their 0-4 start, you realize just how close they really were (67-11 to finish the season ain’t bad, people). Sitting at 7-0 two weeks into the season, the 2007-08 Boston Celtics have already set a great pace and don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Yes, it’s early, but the Celtics, specifically their Big Three have shown that winning is the only thing that matters, with their Big Three having absolutely no ill will about having to defer to another one of their talented teammates. All three have integrated their games superbly. Garnet is throwing dimes like he’s a point guard, averaging 5 assists, easing the load of first-year starter at the point, Rajon Rondo. He’s grabbing rebounds better than he ever has before too, leading the league with 14 a game. But, most of all, it was Garnett’s scoring numbers, - a problem that all three faced -- that would be the aspect of his game that suffered the most in this All-Star orientation. Early in the season, Garnett is scoring just fine, putting up 20 in five straight games until Friday’s blowout win of the Nets.

Paul Pierce has remained the team’s leading scorer; that’s just one more thing for him to happy about. The ten-year veteran was disgruntled with his franchise in the offseason, giving his heart and soul to a team that was going nowhere fast. Then, seemingly out of nowhere his much-maligned owner brought him to two All-Stars, and now Pierce is finally on a winner again. He’s playing tremendously as well, working in complete synergy with KG and Allen. His numbers haven’t been affected all that much either; he’s still putting up 23.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, while having the time of his life. Not bad if you consider where he was six months ago.

Two 20-point scorers are great, but adding a third one to the mix just makes it unfair. Ray Allen is a scorer, and he’s doing that in bunches for the Celtics. Playing with the two most skilled players of his life, Allen is still averaging 20.6 points and remains one of the game’s most polished shooters. His jump shot needs to be replicated more often. He’s already hit 20 three-pointers and is shooting at a 44% clip from downtown. His scoring numbers are down from his days when he was a loser in Seattle, but Allen is handling his place in the third seat of this juggernaut like a gentleman.

You could argue that Wednesday’s win over New Jersey was Boston’s most important win of the season, simply because one of the wonderful play by the Celtics bench. It wasn’t hard to predict that Pierce, Allen, and KG would all average 20 points a game and dominate as a trio the way they have, but the production Rivers got from his bench last night may have been the most important development all season.

The Big Three combined for only 45 of the team’s 91 points, and was the first time that at least one of them didn’t score at least 20. The Celtics actually do have players left from their two face-lifting trades, and they came out in full force collectively for the first time all season. Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Tony Allen all scored double figures, and more importantly, finally made their presence felt against a quality team. If those guys can continue to play at that level, Jordan’s Bulls may be having some company atop the record books.