Now, the Boston Celtics have the depth to build off days into the schedule for players like school systems build in snow days. Can't you envision rotating nights off in the frontcourt? After all, off-season acquisitions reshaped the roster to the point that they can afford to spread the minutes.

Milwaukee comes to town, Kevin Garnett doesn't need to suit up. Philadelphia pops up on the schedule, Rasheed Wallace gets to go to yoga class. Road trip to play the Wizards, Glen Davis gets to sit courtside with President Obama.

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge told reporters that this current group may be the best frontcourt since Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman played together.

With the addition of Shelden Williams and the return of Glen Davis, the Celtics transformed an area of weakness into a strength.

Take away last year's starting center and power forward Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett, respectively, and you're fill-in options look like this: Rasheed Wallace, Davis, Williams and Brian Scalabrine.

The options looked quite a bit different during the 2007-08 championship run.

Scot Pollard battled injuries until he had to be shut down for the season. Davis was an untested rookie. Leon Powe had just one season under his belt, and that season turned out to be about one thing: getting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. When you factor in experience, Scalabrine may have been a better option than either Davis or Powe. Eventually, 38-year-old PJ Brown had to be talked out of retirement to sure up Boston's depth.

And that team busted the Lakers upside their collective head in the NBA Finals.

What does that tell us about the potential for this year's squad?

It means Dwight Howard better have added some moves to his arsenal and improved his one-on-one defense because Boston can throw the kitchen sink at him this year on both ends of the floor.

It means Cleveland might want to re-think any notion that Shaquille O'Neal makes them the front-runner in the Eastern Conference. Move over Zydrunas Ilgauskas, LeBron may have to play some backup center so the Cavs can match-up with Boston.

It means those Celtics -Lakers games should be something to watch. Not only will the potential starting lineups of Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum against Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins, but the benches will be loaded as well.

Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton will come off the Los Angeles bench and butt heads with guys like Wallace, Davis and Marquis Daniels (if the pending deal ever finally gets done to get Daniels away from Indiana and to Boston).

Now that is Basketball. Rosters loaded with players. Depth is a requirement, not a luxury. A starting lineup is only half the battle, the way things might've been be if the league didn't expand so teams could start popping up in places like Vancouver (now Memphis) where they think Basketball is still played with a peach basket.

But I should get back on topic. What does this abundance of depth mean for Celtics fans?

It means clear your schedules for late May and early June. Another trip to the NBA Finals is in the cards this year.