So far this offseason I've seen rankings of teams' offseason moves, but not much in the way of "power rankings." Well, Chris Mannix takes care of that today on SI and the Celtics slot in at ...4th? He puts them behind the Spurs, Cavs, and Lakers (in that order) with the Magic rounding out the top 5.
The Celtics understand they have a two-year window to win and are loading up accordingly. Rasheed Wallace is the perfect fit as the first big man off the bench. After spending the '09 postseason scrambling for power players amid myriad injuries, Boston is now forest-thick in that department with Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Wallace, Glen Davis and Shelden Williams. The Celtics still could use a backup point guard, but they can grab a capable one off the free-agent scrap heap anytime.
So what are your thoughts on the top contenders?
For my part, I don't think you can pick a clear favorite out of the group at this point. The elite 5 will all be there at the end and it will depend on matchups, health, and a little bit of luck to see who gets to the Finals.
May the best team win, ...and may that team be the Celtics.