I love it. Ray Allen is a Celtic. My favorite team growing up in New Hampshire just got my favorite player. The Celtics finally matter again.

You can trash the trade. It seems everyone else is. Here are the critiques: Ray is on the back end of a great career. He is coming off of ankle surgery(s). He turns 32 in July. He and Paul Pierce can't share the ball. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I don't care.

Three is a magic number in basketball. And I am not just talking about the three-pointers Ray will launch in Boston. If you have three really good/great players, you have chance to win. In Pierce, Ray and 22 year old budding superstar Al Jefferson the Celtics now have that coveted trifecta. Who needs defense. This is the NBA we're talking about.

Will they win a title with this group? Probably not. But can they win the Eastern Conference? Maybe. In the West, the Celtics are still just another team. In the East, they can compete. And that's all I really ever wanted--at least at this low point in Celtics history.

My bottom line is this: The Celtics are relevant again. I will want to watch them. Are they the '86 Celtics? No way. I like Ray. But I'm not stupid. But they sure aren't the '06-'07 Celtics either.

The Celtics have only 5 players older than the age of 25. Ray makes them older and better. Jeff Green (former Georgetown star dealt in the Ray Allen deal) may turn into a superstar someday. But I will take Ray Allen and his 26.4 points per game right now. Now Ray, I have one question for you. Can you get me tickets?

Have a great weekend. I am playing in Dan Orlovsky's Charity Golf Tournament Friday. My thoughts on that when I get back to work Monday. And lastly, 3000 hits for Craig Biggio, 500 homers for Frank Thomas, make them hall of famers in my book. Biggio may not have dominated. But 3000 hits is 3000 hits.