I understand that KG missed the last part of last season due to injury, and the team was mysterious about the extent of the injury so there are now trust issues in the fan base.

I understand that since summer 2007 we've been told that our window was short because we built around 30-somethings.

I understand that we just got done watching our arch rivals hoist the championship trophy in our absence.

I understand these things.

But I ALSO understand that Kevin Garnett is arguably the best player of his generation.  That Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are certified Hall of Famers.  And that each are still in their EARLY 30s, younger now than some other historical championship squads (most notably the late-90s Bulls).

I also understand that Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis are all extremely young championship-tested players that made huge leaps last season. 

I also understand that Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels are pretty huge talent boosts to just add to the team off the bench, and that teamed with House and Davis give us the best bench we've had perhaps since 1986.

This team is friggin LOADED.  I am excited about this season in a way I've only ever been twice before...in 2003 when the Wolves added (old) Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell to at least give KG a hint of support, and in 2007 when it finally sunk in that KG, Pierce, and Allen were all on the same team.

I know people are concerned about KG's knee, and I am too, but until I know something for sure the other way I'm expecting Garnett to have his best season in a Celtics' jersey this year.  He's been playing with knee issues (at the very least tendonitis) for several years, and we have confirmed reports that he has been playing with bone spurs for at least a year.  Now, the spurs have been removed.  If the tendon issues really were due to rubbing from the spurs (which, all hyperbole aside, is probably the most likely explanation), and they really have been taken care of surgically...by the end of the year we could be looking at a fully healthy Kevin Garnett for the first time in years. 

A fully healthy KG that, oh by the way, is TICKED that he had to miss out on a legit chance of winning a ring last year.

A fully healthy KG that is ticked and is also, by the way, confident enough to guarantee TWO titles in the next two seasons to his owner.  Which is frankly unprecedented in his history, as far as I know.

Scary.  For everyone that isn't a Celtic. 

Paul Pierce is ticked.  Ray Allen is confident, and playing to show he's worthy of an extension. 

If I lived in Vegas, I would have been putting bits of money on the Celtics to win the title all summer.  Everything is a gamble, but in my mind they are clearly the best team in the league and have the biggest chance to win.  And camp starts tomorrow...I can't WAIT for this season to start.  Let's enjoy this, people.  Coming in and reading another "this team is old, so let's scale back our expectations" or "KG is done, (never mind that he was playing at all-world level just last year)" post every morning around here is getting old quickly.  Even older than our best players.