Trio Of Pierce (l), Garnett (c) And Allen  Should Help Rejuvenate Storied Club

While the NBA continues to wait out the “dark cloud of Donaghy,” the league has to feel good that two of its major markets – Portland and now Boston – have rejuvenated their base with marquee player acquisitions. The trade of Kevin Garnett to the Celtics jumpstarts a sleepy franchise that had been stuck in neutral and was deemed virtually irrelevant in the rabid New England region. While the team’s on-court performance of late hadn’t seriously impacted its gate performance, the effect of a Garnett-Ray Allen-Paul Pierce lineup can’t be overlooked.

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