PP for MVP!

...but of all the scenarios concerning this electric Celtics turnaround, the one that I've found most enjoyable is the way Paul Pierce has folded seamlessly into his new nucleus. Just the other day, Garnett lauded him as his league MVP, and while that has virtually no chance of happening, KG's sentiments were not misplaced.

All those doubters who wondered aloud if Pierce could share the ball, the minutes, and the limelight have been quieted. The critics who dogged his defense have had to eat some crow.

And, even with Garnett and Allen aboard, No. 34 still remains one of the most dangerous scorers - if not the most dangerous - on his team...

As for his defense, the commitment has been there from the start. On the very first possession of this magical 2007-08 season against the Washington Wizards, Pierce, overplaying Caron Butler, deflected a pass, then clapped like an excited schoolboy when the ball grazed off Butler's fingers and out of bounds.

The new era of Celtics basketball was officially in motion.