Pistons coach, and former Celtics assistant, Lawrence Frank isn't buying the notion that the C's are becoming one of the NBA's also-rans.
Not by a long shot.
"I think they're going to be there at the end," told Comcast SportsNet's Greg Dickerson in a one-on-one interview Sunday. "You have a group that -- because of injuries, limited practice time, some new pieces -- is not where they're going to be. But Doc Rivers is the master of understanding how to pace this group.
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"Once they get Brandon Bass back after the All-Star break and they start getting a complete roster, they'll round into shape exactly the time they need to. I'd be very, very careful about writing them off . . .
"If the league is questioning, 'Oh, Boston may not be the same,' you have not only prideful guys but unbelievably competitive and professional guys that would like nothing better than to prove everyone else wrong. And they're very capable of doing it."