Sam Smith

I know, I know, Rajon Rondo can’t shoot. At least he was smart enough to try fewer than 30 threes in his rookie season as he made about 20 percent of them. And, no, despite what they say, Ray Allen is no point guard. He handled the ball some, especially when he arrived in Seattle. But he usually makes plays for himself. No shame there. He’s a scorer. And Tony Allen averages about as many assists as Eddy Curry. And the depth is spelled S-c-a-l-a-b-r-i-n-e.

But this is going to work in Boston. It’s going to work because of Kevin Garnett.

Yes, he has missed the playoffs the last three seasons, and yes, some have wondered why he never seemed all that upset about it and never demanded to get somewhere he could have a chance to go deep in the playoffs. This was the league MVP, and for the next three years his team missed the playoffs and he wasn’t injured. It’s unprecedented.

But when Garnett had two players not as good as Allen and Paul Pierce — Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell — the Minnesota Timberwolves were in the conference finals. And that was in the Western Conference.

They basically didn’t have another player on the team averaging in double figures. Wally Szczerbiak did, but he was injured for much of the season.

Yes, they did have a point guard in Cassell, which makes some difference. But Garnett is like a point center. He’s unselfish and you don’t have to worry with him about the star getting his points. The problem with Garnett has been he doesn’t want to score more. He’s content to let someone else be the star. I’ve often considered Garnett the best three-quarter player in NBA history. Perhaps that’s not the greatest compliment. But he’s the kind of player who gets you there. He doesn’t bring you home those last six minutes, at least not with his offense.

Which is why Stephon Marbury forcing his way out of Minnesota was a career decision to rank with MacLean Stevenson leaving M*A*S*H after the first season. Marbury was the perfect complement to Garnett, a scoring guard who wanted to take the last shot. It’s often considered a failing in pro basketball not to want that. But Garnett is so good we should excuse him that.

Now he’s got finishers in Allen and Pierce. They want that last shot and can make it. Garnett can help get it for them.

Most big shots or last shots come from half-court offenses, which you can run through Garnett.

Another knock on Garnett is he doesn’t particularly like the contact and will fade outside when there is too much. There may be some truth, but he’s not built with a massive lower body and can get bumped off the block. But he’s so quick and agile that he makes up for it. And he’s a great passer.

And it’s not like you need Magic Johnson to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Eric Snow started the majority of games at point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and he is a career 21 percent three-point shooter, about the same as Rondo as a rookie. T.J. Ford is barely above 30 percent on threes and Andre Miller is barely above 20 percent, in Snow range. Heck, who really guards Jason Kidd on jumpers? Perhaps the Celtics will get another point guard. It’s not a big issue.

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One intriguing issue is whether they play Garnett like Bill Russell. Because that is who Garnett can be like on defense. He can block and outlet and while the Celtics don’t have K.C. Jones or Bob Cousy, no one is exactly saying this is a championship team.

OK, maybe on TV in Boston. But the big thing is basketball is finally relevant again in Boston.

I don’t quite have Boston No. 1 or No. 2 in the East, but it is the East, and they could be. Any of perhaps a half-dozen teams can be.

Look, this was a 24-win team last season and now with virtually an entirely new roster: A good thing.

Yes, they had lots of injuries, but they didn’t defend even when they were healthy. So it will take some time to mesh, though it helps to have one of the best team defenders in the league in Garnett.

The formula for success in the NBA was once three stars. In this luxury-tax era, it’s basically been reduced to two stars. The Cavs made the finals out of the East last season with one star, and no one else even close to being an all-star.