Boston is searching for consistency as the Chicago Bulls snapped their five game winning streak and they are tied with the Miami Heat for the best record in the Eastern Conference.  Boston has the Miami Heat in its rear view mirror and has the advantage with two quality wins against them.

They are doing it with a still ailing Rondo and starting a center, Shaquille O'Neal, who is past his prime, because of the injuries to their big men.

How are they doing this?  They must be super heroes like the X-men. A dysfunctional band that just find ways to get the job done.  Maybe the Fantastic Four because Rondo is being recognized for the things he can do. Kevin Garnett is supposed to make his return soon and Kendrick Perkins is about three weeks away from being able to practice without restrictions.

Doc Rivers has done a great job at keeping the team afloat and it speaks to the quality players on the Celtic bench.  The team itself has probably peaked without the services of its big men.  The loss to Chicago shows that they cannot continue to give Shaq and Jermaine O'Neal heavy minutes.  Their days of giving max production with heavy minutes are over.

Danny Ainge has targeted the wrong players for the mid-level exception two years in a row. Last year's debacle with Rasheed Wallace still is a source of contention. Wallace has also been seen around the Celtic facilities prompting rumors of a return.  Say it isn't so. This year J.O. just can't seem to get off the ground due to chronic sore knees.

Yes, the Celtics have done a bang-up job (pun intended), in keeping their dreams of home-court advantage alive. It's now time to grade their individual efforts.

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The lone stalwarts this season were the original "Big Three" off Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.  As a result, Boston sat atop the Eastern Conference with the Miami Heat feasting on mostly below .500 teams charging toward them.  Rajon Rondo had succumbed to foot and ankle problems forcing Pierce to do his best Rondo impression while K.G.'s defensive doggedness kept the whole team on point. 

All that was put in doubt when K.G. came up limping after a routine dunk; he was diagnosed with a strained calf muscle.  Ordinarily the team would take it in stride, except the injury occurred on the same surgically repaired leg. Celtics faithful could not be blamed for having a deja vu moment. 

While we wait for the outcome of Garnett's latest injury there is one pressing question that remains: Who holds the key to the Celtics' title hopes, K.G. or Rondo? 

Each player has a valid argument for being the one indispensable player.  

At first glance, K.G. would seem to have the edge.  After all, he is a perennial All-Star and has the edge in experience.  His game resembles his 2007-08 numbers and he has regained his mental edge over wannabe power forwards who masquerade as centers.  Other NBA players' dislike towards him has returned tenfold it seems and that is a good thing for Garnett.

Besides the consistent numbers he puts up, K.G. knows defense.  His intense approach towards everything basketball is the key to his team’s success.

The Celtics have been able to weather the storm mainly because of Rondo's return from injury and Glen "Big Baby" Davis' track record of stepping up. Truth be told, Boston was beginning to feel the effects of Rondo's absence prior to K.G.'s injury.

Therein lies the dilemma; Rondo's contributions cannot be measured by numbers. If you were to do that, you would miss the beauty of his game. He gets the team buckets and by doing so he saves the wear and tear on the aging veterans’ legs.  They do not have to work as hard to get shots.

This diminutive guard accounts for a good percentage of his team's points without actually scoring. No other NBA point guard can say that. At 6'1", he is a walking potential triple double.  He has had 11 triple doubles already in his short career, some of which he accomplished in the heat of the playoffs.

Both Rondo and K.G. are leading vote-getters at their positions (PF and PG) in the All-Star balloting, and Rondo's numbers are close to hitting one million votes.

Rondo's ability to control the whole game on both ends of the court without any offensive consistency makes his game that more remarkable. K.G. has to score to affect the outcome of the game.

It seems like either one of them can make a case for team MVP, but in the end it is Rondo that gets the edge. 

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Glen is all of three going on four and he would like to celebrate it with another championship. As of today, the Celtics are riding a 13-game win streak and have the best record in the Eastern Conference.  

Baby is providing the offensive punch and defensive tenacity that has earned him the trust of the Celtic veterans.  He has played a major role while averaging 16 PPG in the last seven games. He is learning to give the game what it needs and take coaching. Of course, like any baby he will say or do something that will remind you he still has more learning to do.

Nobody said it would be easy for Baby to take his first steps. In fact we all know that babies will teeter-totter and crash into things. They cry when they get frustrated but generally get over it in a hurry. Such is the life of the Celtics' sixth man.

He has taken so many charges that the league (first time in NBA history) is now keeping statistics on the league leaders. His rotundness helps him to absorb the pounding that he takes, but it is his ability to move his feet that warrants attention. Davis reminds me off the hippo in the classic Disney film Fantasia.

This characterization has the hippo dressed as a ballerina while executing a flawless ballet routine. He may not get style points, but his understanding of the Celtic schemes is the key to his and the second unit's success.

The talent was never in question, it is the maturity that has now caught up to that talent.

Davis could be a starter on half off the teams in the league. This revelation could either be an indictment of the NBA or a compliment to his immense talent.  In his mind, he has always been a starter. Two years ago, he couldn’t understand why he didn’t get his big payday.

If there isn’t a lockout and he finishes the year with another championship ring, he will command top dollar.  The Celtics have his “Bird Rights” and have the right of first refusal. They understand that he may opt for the money, but he is also a bargaining chip for them. Boston is reaping the benefits of Baby’s first full step on solid ground.

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Miami has arguably two off the best players at their position however duplication and lack of support has caused them to falter down the stretch.  They have faced the Boston Celtics twice in the first nine games of the season.  Each time, it has been LeBron who has taken it upon himself to bull-doze his way through the opposing team.  Each time they have come up short wondering why.  Is it time to panic? Only Pat Riley's note cards can tell us but his facial expressions in last night game told us all we needed to know.

The heat is on head coach Erik Spoelstra to figure out how to bring the Miami "Ego" machine into line. We all remember the day after "Le Decision" when James proudly proclaimed that this new edition of the Miami Heat would win at least seven championships.

Bosh strutted across the stage in his thin-man version of the incredible Hulk while Wade and James flanked him.  The NBA world was placed on notice that they were champions albeit paper champions.

Reality has a way of bringing things back into perspective and the shortcomings that were overlooked have become glaring weaknesses that every team with a decent big or point can take advantage off.

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Last nights game, in the first half at least, Rajon Rondo followed suit.  

Turnovers came as a result of overpassing made the victory more difficult than it should have been. New York had no business being in the game because the lads in green were decisive on the boards and scoring at will in the paint. 

The second half saw a different team; Rondo took charge of the game and played pick your poison with the Knick defense.

Rondo is quietly etching his way into the Celtics record book at the tender age of 24. He finished the game with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 24 assists. He was four assists shy of breaking Bob Cousy's team record.

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen trust him to get them the ball by any means necessary. For Rondo, that often means using his varied passing skills at ridiculous angles to get them the ball.

Rondo is averaging 16.7 assists through the first three games of the season. Tonight he dropped his 10th career triple double his fifth in the regular season; all of this from a guy who can't shoot straight.

His much more celebrated peers have not matched his output in this sampling of the first three games. He affects the game without scoring; better that any other point guard in the league can. 

In every game he seems to be toying with his opponents sizing them up often running out of his shoes. He has done that twice this season all ready.

Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni is probably doing a Homer Simpson "Doh!", I could have coached him.

If it wasn't evident in the first game of the season, this game against the Knicks puts the league on notice that Rondo is on a mission.

Let us not forget the contributions of Mr. Glen "Big Baby" Davis. At first this article was going to be about him, but Rondo's play made him a necessary sidebar. 

Davis has been averaging about 13 point a game as the Celtic's sixth man—a concept that Celtic patriarch, Red Auerbach invented. He is in a great position to bring back the award to the team that invented the role.

His quickness belies his girth and catches the opponent’s second string forward or center off guard with his spin moves and mid-range jump shot.

After playing bit roles in the last two championship drive, Baby is finally playing and embracing the role the Celtics had for him last year. It doesn't hurt that it is his contract and redemption year.

If there is no lock out and he continues this level of play throughout the regular season and playoffs, he will get his payday. This will severely test the Celtics mantra of 'ubuntu.

We already saw how Tony Allen felt about that. However Davis' circumstances are slightly different, he has been a consistent rotation player and contributes on both ends of the court.

That is a story for another day, tonight Davis and Rondo made sure that Boston didn't embarrass itself like it did in Cleveland.

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Andersen Varejao, Ryan Hollins and a bunch of assorted parts out hustled the Celtics on both ends of the floor. For a team that prides itself on defense when all else fails that was a serious offense.

The Celtics just couldn’t buy a shot last night.  Rubbery arms and legs prevailed as they short-armed makeable shots at the rim.  Turnovers, fourth quarter technicals (a doc Rivers no-no), a surprising lack of a low post game and wanting to play "hero-ball" ultimately doomed them.

J.J.Hickson, the third-year man that LeBron James lobbied for in last year’s playoffs, beat the Celtics with his quickness and jump shot. Boston had no answer for him.

The "Big Three" showed their fragile nature as Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett failed to score over 16 points.  This was a far cry from the trios output in the season opener.  The only players that were able to pull through the malaise were Glen Davis and Rajon Rondo.

Davis is averaging 13 ppg through the first two games and Rondo managed a more balanced game and has been the best player on the floor by far. Rondo's play suggests that he has come back with a more focused mentality.

Big Baby Davis seems to finally get it.  He managed to survive the night before the season opener without any incident and he has been making the most of his time on the court.  

The other core players have been inconsistent at best. Last night's game showed the team has to battle the boredom of playing less talented teams.  This is not to say that the Cavaliers didn't earn this win, after all, they had a lot to prove too. 

Byron Scott did a masterful job in preparing them for life without LeBron. He is going to use the disrespect card throughout the season.  Let us hope that the players don't realize how much they have to over achieve to gain respectability.

If the Celtics had a day off before they played them, the outcome would have been considerably different.  Boston now finds itself having the same record as the Miami Heat and need to learn how to play through the more difficult road they will face in the East.

It is not time to panic and it may be best to toss this game because of the high profile and intense game they played the previous night.  This is an excuse they can hang their hats on; however, the regular season does not afford you much rest in the midst of a championship chase.

Friday's game against the New York Knicks stands as a must-win, because the Miami Heat face the Orlando Magic that same night.  If Miami wins and Boston loses, it will test the Celtics' resolve and ability to remain a top contender in the now vaunted Eastern Conference.

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Teams like the Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks have the necessary mix to keep it interesting.  

The resulting pressure has made it necessary for these teams to make the regular season count.  It would be unwise for them or any other team to try and duplicate what the Boston Celtics did last year.  The Celtics really did have the "luck of the Irish" on their side in the 2009-10 season. 

The question is, which one of these teams will represent the East in the the 2010-11 NBA Finals?  

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Names like Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and young guns like John Wall are projected ahead of him.  Williams, Paul and Rose have at least been to the playoffs, but placing Wall ahead of him is a travesty.

Williams is the only player I think is worth being in the same category as Rondo, because he knows how to run a team.  His scoring prowess came as a surprise to those in the NBA, because he was mostly a setup man for Dee Brown at the University of Illinois. Brown had a cup of coffee in the NBA and Deron is considered a top-five NBA point guard.

Rondo still gets the edge because he has won two conference titles and one NBA Finals ring, the ultimate badge of honor for an NBA player.  Since Rondo has been there, he is the NBA's most dangerous and valuable point man.

Chris Paul and Derrick Rose's assist numbers are misleading, because they give up the ball only when they do not have an available shot.  They do not make their teammates better, although Rose may have the opportunity to change that because of his FIBA experience.  Paul has yet to spur his supporting cast to greatness.

Scoring seems to be the hallmark for being elite at any position in the NBA, yet those scorers hardly win championships in their prime. 

Bob McAdoo was an elite scorer early in his NBA career, winning the first of his three scoring championships in his second year. Kevin Durant is the closest in that regard, winning his first scoring championship in his first three years.  

McAdoo won his two rings as a role player with the Los Angeles Lakers; Durant is just in the infancy of his career, so the jury is still out.  He is considered the player a GM would most like to build around.

Rajon provides his team with more scoring opportunities than any of the aforementioned players. He is one of the top rebounders at his position, often flirting and achieving triple doubles in a Jason Kidd-like manner.  What makes this remarkable is that he is only 6' 1" and Kidd is 6'4". 

Kidd came into the league without a serviceable jump shot, but through hard work and dedication, he can now hit the open shot. Various reports and comments from his teammates show that Rondo puts in the required work.

He is the only point guard whose team consistently wins when his assist numbers are greater than his scoring output. I highly doubt Williams, Paul and Rose's teams could survive such a feat.

Paul is considered a great defender, yet Rondo outclasses him in defensive tenacity and resulting play.

The only thing NBA experts can find is that he lacks a consistent outside shot, but the kid just continues to win.  

This upcoming season Celtic veterans are associating accolades like leader and quiet focus among others on Rondo.  He understands it is his responsibility to balance the hodge-podge of personalities and egos in his charge. 

Rondo is now entering his fifth season, and it will be necessary to see all of these things result in another All-Star appearance and another championship ring. By all accounts his preseason work ethic has him developing the necessary habits to accomplish these goals.

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There were issues throughout the roster. Veteran players like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were slow to recover from injury.  The self-described, “ticket-stub” Glen Davis, reverted back to his original moniker “Big Baby” by breaking his hand just before the 2009-10 season started. 

The one thing, however, that ultimately doomed them was their on-again-off again relationship with consistent defensive tenacity.

It also seemed that the leg injuries that KG suffered affected his ability to defend and box out the opponent. Younger and fresher legs, like Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic, beat him repeatedly to the baseline.

This season the team has made defense the focus and KG's Doberman-like attitude has resurfaced in training camp.  Something the Celtic staff has readily admitted was sorely lacking, as well as their over reliance on making offense the focal point of training camp last year.

This renewed adjustment could be attributed to the higher level of competition that has surfaced in the Eastern Conference. The recent overhaul of the Miami Heat roster has made defense a top priority; add Orlando with its man-child Dwight Howard in the mix and you get the picture.

Boston has the necessary tools to once again reclaim their title of top defense in the NBA. They have the top steals man in the league in Rajon Rondo and Garnett barking orders to his teammates when his thievery fails.  You have arguably the top guard forward combination in defensive efficiency in KG and Rondo.

The Celtics hired Lawrence Frank in the off-season, a near clone to Tom Thibodeau when it comes to committing to the defensive end. Frank is almost guaranteed the head-chair because of his experience and he has Doc Rivers’ stamp of approval.

Throw in the hire of former Celtic Roy Rogers as big man coach and you can see Danny Ainge makes decisions based on team needs and not coaching popularity.

NBA experts are making the same arguments that they have always made in that the Celtics are a year older and a step slower and the other top teams are considerably younger.  On the surface it seems like they are right; however take a look at the bench and you will see there will be very little drop-off in Lawrence Frank’s defense.

Delonte West will miss the first 10 games of the season, but Nate Robinson, Davis, Marquis Daniels and one of the O’Neal brothers will hold down the fort until his return.

No other NBA team will be able to approach defense with the rabid dog-like intensity that Boston will unleash on the NBA this season.

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Many thought that Red Auerbach's title total was almost sacred. Ask any Celtic past or present and they would bristle at the mention of any Laker coach surpassing them in titles in any form.  

Now that Phil has crashed the party on the inner sanctum of what was once considered "Green Domain," who will be the next coach to be talked about in that rarified air as Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson?

Gregg Popovich and Larry Brown are winners in their own rights, however, this is about the new breed of coaches who still have the chance to be the next hot coaching commodity. 

*This slideshow is not to say that they will win as many championships.

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