The frenzied summer of 2010 has changed the NBA forever. Lost in the furor over “The Decision,” the arrival of John Wall and Carmelo Anthony’s wedding to LaLa (and possible divorce from the Nuggets,) the Celtics very quietly had an active offseason. We’ll be counting down the 10 most important developments.
No. 10: The Kids are All Right
The Celtics are old. We know it, they know it, the rest of the NBA knows it and Doc Rivers has a never-ending supply of jokes to make sure no one forgets it. 
But Danny Ainge didn’t just stock up on museum pieces this summer. He also added three young players who bring a mix of athleticism and potential for a roster that could use both.
No one is really sure yet what Avery Bradley will be as a professional. He may be a point guard or he may just be a guard, period. He might develop into a starter or he might be a useful rotation player. No one is even certain if he will spend the majority of his rookie year in Boston or in Maine with the D-League.
But, he is intriguing.
Bradley was the guy the Celtics wanted on draft night with the 19th pick and they were thrilled when he fell to them. His offensive game will take some time to develop, but they feel that he is already capable of playing NBA-caliber defense.
He might not have Tony Allen’s size or be able to defend small forwards, but he could provide that kind of impact in small doses on the perimeter. That’s the best-case scenario.
The worst-case is the 19-year-old (he’ll be 20 in November) spends the winter learning the pro game from Red Claws coach Austin Ainge. The good news for Bradley is that there is no pressure on him to perform this season.
Second-round pick Luke Harangody doesn’t have Bradley’s potential but after a stellar four-year career at Notre Dame he is more of a finished product.
Harangody had one of the strongest summer leagues of any second round pick and is drawing the requisite comparisons to former Celtic second-round finds Ryan Gomes, Leon Powe and Glen Davis.
Like those three, Harangody has certain physical limitations (i.e. he’s a classic tweener) that caused him to fall out of the first round. But, like those three, his production and experience may make his adjustment to the pro game easier.
As with Bradley, the Celtics don’t necessarily need Harangody to be a ready-made rotation piece, but he is an upgrade over what they had on the end of their bench last season.
That brings us to Semih Erden, a 7-footer from Turkey who is set to make his NBA debut two years after the Celtics took him with the final pick in the 2008 draft.
Erden struggled in Orlando, but he was dealing with a back injury. He seems refreshed now and has played well for Turkey in the FIBA World Championships.
Make no mistake, Erden is a project, but after the Celtics ran short of big men for the second year in a row he gives them depth and a measure of potential.
At this point Erden is even more of an unknown than Bradley and with the O’Neal’s – Shaq and Jermaine – ahead of him on the depth chart, he may stay that way for a while.
The key to making a transition from an aging over-the-cap roster is finding assets in the draft and in Bradley, Harangody and Erden the Celtics’ future is better than it was at the end of last season.