Celtics getting a lift from their bench

When Danny Ainge first brought the new “Big Three” together, the basketball world was understandably excited. For the first time in over 20 years, the Celtics were going to be relevant once again. There were, however, many detractors. NBA pundits would point out that despite the Celtics’ obvious firepower in the starting lineup, their bench was equally as bleak as their starting lineup was strong.Could a championship-contending team really rely on two second-round picks (Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Leon Powe) and a journeyman sharpshooter (Eddie House) to get it where it needed to go? Danny Ainge answered that question with a resounding “No!” Soon, James Posey, P.J. Brown, and Sam Cassell would all be wearing the green, and the rest was history.This season, however, things are different. Brown has retired, Posey is wearing teal and purple, and Cassell is a glorified assistant coach. So how is it that the Celtics are suddenly owners of the best bench in the NBA? Far too often, the Celtics’ starters have come out of the gates flat, and it has been the Celtics’ bench that has been the stabilizer.The bench has not only brought the Green back, but also contributed big minutes and bigger shots when the game is on the line, as evidenced by seldom-used Brian Scalabrine’s dagger against the Knicks last week. Celtics backup power forward Powe knows his job, saying, “Our job coming off the bench is to try to change the tempo.”The fact is, the bench has done much more than change the tempo; it has allowed coach Doc Rivers the luxury of keeping the Big Three’s minutes down, something that will prove immeasurably valuable this spring.”We can’t go with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen playing 40 minutes every night,” Rivers said. “Those numbers have to come down to the 34-minute mark. I think our bench is capable, and they’ll get it right.”Celtics big man Kendrick Perkins put it in the simplest of terms: “Our bench could be starters anywhere else; we never lose a lot when they come in.”On Monday, the Celtics lost one of their own. Former coach (and current commentator) Tommy Heinsohn’s wife, Helen, passed away. Although most fans probably never had the opportunity to meet Helen Heinsohn, they certainly had heard of her. For decades, the Celtics’ colorful commentator Tommy Heinsohn would often celebrate a great play by exclaiming, “The Redhead from Needham would like that!” The Redhead from Needham, whom most had never met, transcended Celtics basketball, and the Celtics broadcast will never be the same again.