Highlights of sports journalism (latest in a series)

The problem with deciding on the conclusion before you've looked at the facts is that once in a while the facts don't accomodate. Over at Pro Basketball News Eric Fontana decides to make the case the current Celtics team is identical to the one Ainge took over.

But after all of this wheeling and dealing, have the Celtics improved? Or consider this: The season before Ainge took over, the Celtics had two good scorers (Pierce and Walker), a hustling big man (Tony Battie), a solid point guard (Kenny Anderson) and some good young talent (Joe Johnson and a young Mark Blount).

Now they have two good scorers (Szczerbiak and Pierce), a hustling big man (Kendrick Perkins), a solid point guard (Delonte West), and some good young talent (Al Jefferson and Orien Greene). They also added Gerald Green, although Green has barely played, so the jury is still out.

It's amazing how two different basketball teams can both have a center! And a point guard! And players who do most of the shooting! Will we ever look at basketball the same way again?

Those who have followed this blog know that I've been plenty critical of the way the team is currently run. With Fontana, though, you almost don't know where to begin.

How 'bout with the 'good young talent' the Celtics had when Ainge arrived? Joe Johnson was traded to Phoenix in '01, a good two years before Ainge arrived in Boston. In '03 Mark Blount was 27 year old and despite being 7' tall in a center-starved league had never averaged more than 20 minutes a night. Fast forward to today's squad and calling Orien Greene good young talent only shows you haven't seen him play much. When an athletic, 6'3" point guards slips to the end of the second round of the draft there's a reason. Calling Delonte West a sold point guard... well, I could go on but I'd just bore both of us.