CELTICS 23-4

After 27 games and an injury plagued season much like the Boston Red Sox of last year, the Boston Celtics are cruising to another Atlantic Conference title with a 23-4 record at the time of Christmas day.  Many say this has been Paul Pierce's best year as a Celtic.  Kevin Garnett looks like he is 18 again and the low-risk high reward of the "Big Shamrock" Shaquille O'Neal is really paying dividends for the green.  The bench has been a big part of the Celtics success this year with Glen Davis pursuing a sixth man of the year award and Nate Robinson stepping in for the beat up Rajon Rondo.  Marquis Daniels has played key minutes as well filling it for the injured Delonte West.  Semih Erden is learning from the Big Three as well as Doc and really seems like he can be valuable down the stretch.  Who can forget about Ray Ray and Rondo? Ray Ray is inching closer to the career lead in three-pointers made as Rondo is inching closer to the best start to his young career.  Kendrick Perkins is due back by the end of January which will give this team a boost.  This team is firing on all cylinders with many key players injured, Jermaine O'Neal hasn't played a game since God knows when.  The Celtics will cruise through the regular season, but rest assuredly they will not make the same mistake as last year of not getting home court advantage because it came back to bite them losing to the Lakers in Los Angeles in Game 7.  IT'S ALL ABOUT 18. Ubuntu.