• Tony had an outstanding season going for himself, until the unfortunate injury happened. TA is a tough grade, since he started off slow and then ended his season in January. However, I’m going to grade him based on what happened before the unfortunate accident. He’s easily our best defensive player, very explosive, our emotional leader, and he really took the load when Paul/Wally went down. He was expected to lead our defensive energy, but he led our team on both ends of the floor. He make some big improvements, it was terrible to see him go down.

• Ryan Gomes, AKA Mr. Reliable, had a good year. He worked hard on his jumper this past summer and he extended his range steadily. He went from having a decent 12-14 foot shot his rookie year to having a deadly (and consistent) 15-19 footer, and by the end of the season he was hitting three’s. He proved that he can be successful at the 3 in this league, as well as the 4. He was clearly our most consistent player this season, in my opinion, and I think he had a nice year.

• We knew Gerald was going to be a project from the start, and even though he still has his flaws, he has come along faster than anybody expected. Had it not been for the injuries, Gerald might have only played 5-6 minutes per game (Doc even said that himself). He still has that deer in the headlights look, he still gets lost at times defensively, he still can’t handle the ball very well, and he still is inconsistent, but he did make improvements. While he still has his deficiencies on the defensive end, he has improved. While he is still inconsistent, he has improved his long range jumper and he moves much better without the ball than he did in his rookie year. Most importantly, he’s a worker and he wants to improve. He knows he has to work harder and harder every summer, but the most promising aspect of it is that he actually wants it. We all know talk is cheap, but Gerald has a good head on his shoulders, and after all he is only 21.

• He went from an injury plagued, out of shape young player with questionable work ethic to a consistent double-double, a big time low post presence, and a guy that will be in All-Star consideration next season. Al was phenomenal this year, nobody expected what he did. He’s really beginning to reach his potential, he made huge strides this year. We always knew he could score, but he added a few extra tricks to his post game, he added a short jumper that extended its range as the season progressed, he has proven to be a very solid shot blocker, he has gotten much quicker due to the 30 lbs. he lost this past summer, and he has become much more of a vocal presence out there. He’s only 22, but he’s stepping up as one of the leaders on this team. What a great year.

• The Kandi Man was a surprise to everyone, including Doc and Danny. He surprisingly showed up and asked for a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp, and he ended up earning himself the last spot on the roster. He is a career underachiever, we all know that, but he was somewhat of a nice surprise for us this year. He even had a few games this year where he actually played very well, he’s not a bad 3rd center. He never complains, he never talks back, he stays professional and gives the team whatever is asked of him. I can’t give him an F.

• Perk had a lot of issues this year. He started off alright, then he got hit with the plantar fasciitis (that really didn’t start to truthfully clear up until about late February). Ever since he has felt healthy, he has been awesome. He closed the season out on a high note, and he was consistently a nice presence for us throughout the last couple months of the season. The one thing that has surprised me about Perk this year is his passing ability out of the high post. I always knew he was a good outlet passer, but his passing abilities in a half-court set are nice to have at the center position. While Perk didn’t have a great year, or what we expected, he did have the legitimate excuse of injury and he closed it out nicely.

• Paul came into camp in outstanding shape, and stayed in good shape for a while. Then, like practically every other Celtic, the injury bug bit him hard (in the foot, elbow, knee, and eye). It’s tough to grade the captain this year, seeing how he was only in uniform for roughly half the season, but these injuries don’t take away from his value to the team as a player and leader. He means so much to this team, to the young players, and to the fans. He’s a true leader and he never gave up on that, no matter how badly he was hurting (inside and outside).

• The Powe Show can play. Sure, he was a late 2nd round pick, but he’s going to be in this league for a while. He works ridiculously hard at all times, he is an outstanding rebounder, he’s very strong, he’s very tough, he’s very athletic and explosive, and he disrupts the opposing bigs. He’s so physical that he has frustrated numerous opposing bigs (such as Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer, and Chuck Hayes). He still has a lot of work to do on the offensive end and with his footwork, but he’s going to be in this league for a while.

• It’s disappointing that he only was able to play in two games this season, due to the chronic back problems. I never expected him to play more than half the season, but the fact that he could only suit up for two of them was very disappointing. He would have been our starting center, and his veteran leadership and defensive abilities were key losses for us. I hope this surgery can set him on the right track so he can stay relatively healthy next year.

• Ray had some good moments, some bad. He was never expected to do much at all, obviously, and the only reason he got a chance to play is because all of our key players were hit with injuries all year long. Regardless, he’s a career journeyman (think Eddie House 2.0). He has a beautiful shot, though it is inconsistent, but that’s about it.

• I am so incredibly happy/relieved that Ainge found us another gem in the draft. Pre-draft, I didn’t think Rondo was the answer and I thought he was going to be a project, but the kid has proved me wrong big time. He does absolutely everything well out on the floor, except shoot the basketball. He’s an assassin defensively, he’s a great athlete, he’s very quick, he always pushes the ball, he’s a very heady player, he’s a playmaker, he’s a wizard with the ball, he’s one of the best rebounding point guards this league has seen in a while, he can finish, and he already has leadership qualities (as a 21 year old rookie point guard, that’s rare). He is clearly the point guard of the future (after 15+ years of searching for one, we finally found him). If this kid ever develops a somewhat reliable jumper, he’s going to be one hell of a player.

• Scal was a nice surprise this year. He lost some weight, he improved his jumper, he brought the hustle, and he came up big for us defensively quite a bit. He still has his “haters,” but he definitely gained some more respect from the fans this year. I’ll be honest, last season I did not like him at all. Now, I actually like Scal a lot. He knows his role and he has a great personality. You can crack your jokes about him, I’m not going to act like I don’t (hey, it’s fun), but he had a solid year.

• Wally was a big disappointment this season. In October and November, Wally was on fire. He shot the ball extremely well on a consistent basis. Then, he rolled his ankle a handful of times, he had some knee difficulties, and he tried to rush himself back after every single injury. Wally has been a walking injury since he caught his first flight to Boston. It’s a shame because when healthy, he’s one of the better shooters in the league, but he was very inconsistent this year and the injuries were out of hand (I know they aren’t his fault, but still).

• What a disappointment. In summer league, October, and November, he played well. He pushed the tempo, we ran more as a team, he had a healthy Pierce/Wally to kick the ball out to, he limited his turnovers, and he ran the team relatively well. He was even shooting the ball fairly well from mid-range. Ever since the end of November, it all went down hill. He got demoted quickly and West took the starting job, then Telfair lost his backup duties completely when Rondo came on. I don’t disagree with West and Rondo playing over him, they are both better than him without question, but I think that if Delonte played his natural position all year long (SG) and Doc didn’t completely kill Bassy’s confidence, we’d be in a different situation right now. Well, that means nothing now… shoulda, coulda, woulda. Regardless of the fact that I like him or not, he was a big time disappointment this year. Then he ends it with that stupid gun/speeding incident? Ugh. I still support Telfair, but I’m very disappointed in him.

• Delonte had a decent year, it could have been better and it could have been worse. He started off slow with the injuries and back-and-forth switches from point guard to shooting guard, but he caught on midway through. I love having him in Boston, his personality is one of a kind and the effort/heart he has is outstanding. I think that if he was able to play his natural position all year, he would have had a better year, but he didn’t have a “bad” year by any means. No big improvements, he didn’t regress.

On July 6, 2007 the Boston Celtics, along with 21 other teams, will begin the summer league play. The games will be in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center (on the campus of UNLV, where the 2007 NBA All-Star weekend festivities were held) until July 15th. The full list of teams competing consists of:

Boston Celtics

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Hornets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Seattle Sonics

Washington Wizards

Chinese National Team

Will the Celtics be heading out to Vegas with the likes of Greg Oden or Kevin Durant by their side? We can only hope.