The Sound of the Suburbs

Well, Danny Ainge's investment in Rasheed Wallace finally paid off Monday night after a regular season and first-round playoff in absentia from Sheed.

With 5-for-5 shooting in the first half off the pine, three of them treys, 17 and 2 in the final box, Rasheed finally reminded Need For Sheed fans why he still matters. Put aside the fact I can't get used to him in Celtic Green, on paper it was the right offseason pickup, which can only be measured against San Antonio's acquisition of Antonio McDyess, the steadier player who is the turtle to Sheed's hare off Detroit's summer yard sale.

Despite the fact young Rajon Rondo is Boston's key, despite the fact KG and even Pierce and Allen have looked good in the first two games in Cleveland, it's Wallace who is the X factor.

Now don't get too excited, Celtic Nation. Look up inconsistency in the dictionary and you'll find Sheed's headshot. So Game 2 very well may be an aberration.

But if it isn't ... trouble in C-Town.

They say an NBA playoff series doesn't begin until the road team wins and it began Monday in Cleveland.

Now it's back to Beantown for the next two, and the pressure is squarely on Mike Brown. A seemingly unassuming, run of the mill NBA coach, Mike is no Larry, who would have the Cavs up two-zip and Boston on their heels. Instead we're tied at one and Mike must find a way to exhume the dinosaur that is Shaquille O'Neal, help Williams find his Mo-Jo for the first time in playoff history and find a shooter off the bench (paging Daniel Gibson), a Cav Achilles Heel these last few playoffs.

MVP LBJ can't do it all himself (too many 3s in that last 4th Q run of Game 2), Jamison is solid but no Scottie Pippen, and Delonte West is MIA. Annoying Anderson Varejao is a warrior and I don't know what happened to Anthony Parker on Monday night; hell, I don't even recall seeing him on the floor, let alone doing anything.

Boston, in vintage Auerbach fashion, clearly played possum during the regular season. If the Celtics somehow beat Cleveland, all bets are off re LeBron's future, and Orlando will be favored to return to the NBA Finals.

Vegas will ride LBJ until the end, but don't be surprised if they end upside down. If Ray Allen and/or Paul Pierce get off at home, James may not be able to do it alone.

Kobe Bryant knows the feeling. His early years were fraught with disappointment and an underachieving supporting cast. Now James is in the same boat but in his case he better damn well rock it and take over that locker room if Brown can't.

There's no good reason on paper why Cleveland doesn't go all the way this year, but the Cavs are suddenly vulnerable and it's up to the team game coming together or not for the Cavaliers.

We shall see what we shall see in Boston, as Celtic Nation doubles down with the Bosox staggering despite their blowout of Anaheim on Monday.

Get ready to rumble, LeBron. Call your mates out in private (unlike Joe Johnson) before it gets out of hand.