It’s been weird watching the Celtics throughout the pre-season and the first couple games of the year. For those of us who have followed the Celtics the last few years, it almost doesn’t feel like we’re watching our own team. It is more than just the additions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The team has been remade from top to bottom into a legitimate force. When the second unit checks in, I am still expecting Ray Allen and Gerald Green to come in and toss up shot after shot while playing little to no defense. Instead, Eddie House has been coming in and tossing up shot after shot and playing little to no defense.

Don’t get me wrong, it is great to see Kevin Garnett attacking the boards, and Ray Allen gliding through the lane. The new Celtics and the new Celtics team play with a passion not seen in these parts in years. They rebound, play defense, and they have the potential to score a lot of points. You watch the game believing they are going to win, and you don’t see the dumb mistakes that young teams make.

Even Paul Pierce looks like a new player. A friend of mine even commented that he looks like he is trying too hard. It is as if he wants to prove to Kevin Garnett that he still is an elite player. Pierce may also be trying to hang on to top-star billing. For as much as the media refers to the “Big 3,” Kevin Garnett is the real superstar on this team. KG is the best player and is already the heart and soul of this team. Pierce and Allen are stars, but KG is a superstar.

It is going to take some time to get used to the new team. It has been easier for the folks who haven’t paid much attention since Antoine Walker left the first time. For the rest of us, it will take several hard fought victories with a few frustrating Doc Rivers’ engineered losses mixed in, before we can call this team our own.