We possibly get to the finals for maybe one year maybe two in exchange for mortgaging our future. Great, thanks for the long-term vision Danny.

So much for being championship-minded.

For all the talk the past few years of Danny Ainge being an oddball GM, he sure managed to bring some legitimacy back to the Celtics this offseason.

Too many GMs bank on potential and are afraid to pull the trigger on trades because they have grand dreams of what their young guys will become. Those dreams are rarely fulfilled. This is certainly no comment on Al Jefferson and the others involved in this trade, but it’s fun to see Ainge go a different route and see what he can do here and now. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett? I’m amazed. In what situation should a GM not attempt to assemble this lineup? How can anyone criticize this?

The last time something like this happened was when Mitch Kupchak brought Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the Lakers to join Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. That lineup failed to actually capture a championship –and there was quite a bit of dissension and turmoil among the personnel– but I don’t think anyone can really say that Kupchack made a mistake. If you see a grand opportunity present itself, you grab it.

I’m also amazed to see that Ainge not only obtained two legitimate All-Stars without giving up the one he already had but that the two new guys are celebrated class acts, seemingly as selfless off the court as on it. These are three players who I find very easy to root for, all the more so now that they are together as a unit.

I’m a diehard Lakers fan, born and raised in Los Angeles, so this is extremely tough for me to admit: I’d rather root for the Celtics this next season than the Lakers.

The insipid drama that is Kobe Bryant has drawn out longer than I can endure. All the high-flying, last-second heroics cannot make up for his obviously affected claims of loyalty to our city. His disingenuous posturing has worn thin, and we Angelenos now see him as the selfish, childish finger-pointer that others have seen for some time.

So I’ll never wear a Boston jersey but I’ll be tuning in to watch the new Beantown triple threat at work. At the least, I can claim to be cheering for hometown boy Pierce (Inglewood High) and hope to not be burned at the stake by my fellow Angelenos.

1) To say Rondo is ready to do that is over ambitious.

2) Just cause these guys have great basketball IQs and have solid assist stats, does not make them a point guard.

1) Did you see the team that made it last year? Eric Snow was there starting point guard for most of the season, and then a guy named Bo-obie went off.

2) The Bulls have absolutely no inside scoring threat. I mean Zero. If the Bulls get Pau, I’ll give them the edge. But until then, they are an above average, well coached team, that has no offensive power in the paint. KG would murder them.

3) Did you see how D-Wade almost single-handedly took the Heat to the finals two years ago? This was a team with a gimpy Gary Payton and a horrible Walker getting tons of minutes. Shaq WAS dominant, but he is no more.

4) I would agree that Detroit is the favorite. They have the pieces, the chemistry, and the been-there before experience. But they also have Rasheed’s attitude to deal with.

5) The Atlantic Division is the worst division in maybe all of sports. The Celtics should pad there record enough so that they won’t have to face Detroit until the Conference Finals.

6) Toronto is good, but that is all. They need 2-3 more years, and one more legit scoring threat. Otherwise they will be what they are now – a lighter version of the Bulls.

7) The Celtics still have multiple spots they have to fill up. Who knows what veterans they will now be able to get on the cheap?

So the Celtics have to beat the Pistons in 7 to get to the finals.

I say good luck to both and let the best team win!!!