Rondo’s presence will help C’s adjust to Garnett’s absence

The Boston Celtics have developed a reputation as a tough-minded basketball team, the type of club that doesn’t get rattled and relies on both its skills and its swagger to defeat its opponents. The primary reason for that mental toughness is, simply, Kevin Garnett. With KG out for the foreseeable future, it will be his teammates that will need to find that mental toughness to persevere, because now more than ever, the Celtics need to win games to maintain home-court advantage in the playoffs.Both the Celtics players and their fans learned the hard way last year just how important home-court advantage throughout the playoffs can be. Does anybody really think the Celtics would have been crowned champions if they didn’t have the Boston Garden to lean on in critical Game Sevens?The Green are now an amazing 13-2 the last two seasons when Garnett does not play. It has been the contributions of his teammates and their ability to step up when it matters the most that have helped the Celtics stay afloat. And while Brian Scalabrine has stepped up, and the play of both Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Leon Powe has been terrific at times, it has been the Celtics’ other emerging star that has helped the most. Rajon Rondo is quickly becoming a top-flight point guard.”As Rondo goes, this team goes,” said C’s captain Paul Pierce.These are strong words, and an awful lot of responsibility for a player who just turned 23. The Celtics are now 10-0 on the season when Rondo scores 18 or more points. When looking at their most current road trip, Rondo has been matched up against some of the NBA’s elite point guards, including Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, and a familiar face for Celtics fans, Chauncey Billups. The Celtics are 4-1 on the trip, and Rondo has been the Celtics’ best and most consistent player. Pierce knows that with or without Garnett, the Celtics are still an elite team.”This team is very confident without Kevin,” Pierce said. “We played without Kevin last year and a few games this year without him. We don’t get discouraged when one guy goes down. We just try to hold down the fort and win games.”With Rondo playing at an All-Star level, absorbing the loss of KG becomes a lot easier to manage.As the playoffs approach, the Celtics’ bench may not have the likes of P.J. Brown and James Posey to rely on, but what they will have is a well-rested Garnett, and a much-improved Rondo. This is a formula that Celtics fans and players alike hope will be enough to get the Green through the difficult and turbulent Eastern Conference.