The cynics (and I was one of them) have been answered. The Boston Celtics not only played well with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the fold, they continued to get better. The C’s will go into the playoffs with the best record in the league and the shortest title odds: 3-2 at press time.

It’s a crowded field of contenders; any number of teams could win the championship and deserve it. But Boston stands above the crowd at 62-16 SU and 48-28-2 ATS – making the Celtics the most profitable team in the NBA as well. Not easy to do when everyone expects you to blow out the opposition.

Danny Ainge gets extra marks for adding more and more talent to the roster after picking up Garnett and Allen. You can’t have enough experience or depth at this time of year; Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown provide both. Anything short of a title would be a major letdown.