The Leather Ball is back

The one team that was potentially in the most trouble with the whole switching of the balls (Orange Roundie – out. Leather Classic – in.) was the Boston Celtics.

They had games on both the 31st and the first, which meant they had 0 (zero) days to transition the hands via a Doc Rivers mega-intellectual practice session.

We found this funny, because really – what’s one extra day? Were all the Celtics going to carry around the leather ball for that precious 24 hours, thus turning their season around?

Anyway, the results of this non-practice crisis were fine for them, as they managed to defeat the Trailblazers last night in Portland. Head Coach Doc Rivers wasn’t phased, anyway.

“I just think it’s a little unfair that Portland practices with the other ball and they’ll probably have a shootaround (today) with the other ball, and we’re playing (last night),” Rivers said. “I just thought it would be a smart thing for the league to wait one day, but I guess they didn’t think it was that smart. It does give Portland an advantage (because) they get to work with it.”

“Yeah, I thought about it, for maybe five seconds,” he said. “Then I figured the hell with it.”

See, it’s business as usual for Doc – that’s exactly how he normally puts together his gameplan.

As for this ball business, one might expect, given our history with the lil’ guy, that we’d be all sad and distraught over the non-employment of the Orange Roundie.

Not so at all. We think the return to the leather is an excellent choice. Note:

* It doesn’t have an exciting name.
* It doesn’t have a personality.
* It doesn’t have a catchphrase.
* It’s leather, which means it’s made of cows.
* Doc Rivers is down with it.
* Kevin Garnett is even more down with it.
* Deadened, unglowy surface.
* We don’t have any other reasons.

Truth is, perhaps the Roundie was a little too ahead of his time. He’s made for an age where all the streets and buildings are made of metal, and children frolic in the artifically atmospheric domed streets, due to the post-apocalyptic nature of the future Earth.

What’s really important is that the Celtics won, and that’s only gonna happen a few more times in the next 4 months. Cherish these days this day – it’s truly the Age of the Boston Celtics.