There will be seven members of the 2011 Eastern Conference All-Star team on the floor when the Celtics tip off with the Heat Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of their conference semifinal series. The most in any series since 1982-83 when the 76ers and Lakers met in the NBA finals. The fact that this is happening now in early May as opposed to mid-June speaks to the enormity of this playoff series.

Of the seven All-Stars, six are matched up directly across from one another – Ray Allen on Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce on LeBron James and Kevin Garnett on Chris Bosh. Then there is Rajon Rondo.

He is perhaps the most singularly unique talent in a league full of genetic oddballs. He is faster than most, quicker than almost everyone and the owner of a very large basketball IQ that goes beyond simply knowing what is happening on the court. “He sees things I don’t see, and never would have been able to see,” Doc Rivers said outside the locker room following a mid-February win over the Heat.

In this series of old guards and young upstarts, he is the bridge between generations and the Heat don’t have anyone who is the obvious choice to guard him. They will try different looks and personnel. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby got the first crack at him, nor will be it shocking when Wade takes him, leaving Chalmers to chase Allen around screens. LeBron remains a possibility, but that would leave Pierce with an obvious advantage.

“I don’t know,” Rondo said when asked what he expects. “Everybody plays differently. We’ll see Game 1.”

The Heat will give him room to take jump shots and try to limit his ability to drive to the basket and get out in transition, just like everyone else does. There are many ways to try to neutralize him and Rondo figures he’s dealt with just about all of them. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen,” he said.

Everyone knows what Rondo has to do and how he has to play with great speed and pace. He has to be fearless going to the basket and he needs to make the right decisions on the break and in the halfcourt.

“Just need Shorty to be aggressive,” Garnett said. “Rondo’s a pain when he’s aggressive. When he’s stacking the stat line he’s a problem to deal with and we’re a problem to deal with.”

As Game 1 looms, he is perhaps the most important player among an array of singular talents. We broke down the Pierce-James matchup here, and here are three other areas to watch:

CAN DWYANE WADE BE DWYANE WADE?

It’s a curious thing that has happened this season, but Dwyane Wade has largely been a non-factor when these two teams play. Earlier in the year Wade was dealing with a hamstring injury and didn’t seem to be himself, shooting 6-for-28 in their two early matchups. But in the final two he was also off his game, making just 10-of-29 shots.

Ray Allen in particular has been able to neutralize Wade. They have been on the court with each other for 141 minutes in their four games and Wade has averaged just 10.7 points while shooting 27 percent (via nba.com StatsCube). On the other end, Allen has shot 59 percent from behind the 3-point line. Wade hasn’t always guarded Allen in those minutes, but that also speaks to the problems Rondo causes.

This storyline has gone largely unnoticed this week, but it will be telling if Allen can continue to win this matchup during the playoffs. Allen has particularly hurt Wade in transition after misses and Miami adjusted in the final game of the season and asked him to be more of a facilitator. If Wade seems less aggressive that’s the likely reason.

When Allen is out the job will fall to Delonte West, a tough defender who is giving up size.

DEFENDING CHRIS BOSH

The much-maligned third member of the Miami triumverate has become something of a barometer player for the Heat. “When Bosh plays really well they blow teams out,” Garnett said. “It’s not even close.”

Bosh struggled in Miami’s lone loss to the Sixers but he had huge games in the first two and was arguably their best player in the close-out game.
“I think he’s one of their key guys,” Rivers said. “LeBron and Wade are going to be LeBron and Wade. They were great before the series, they’ll be great during it and they’ll be great after it. This summer when you’re talking about it you’ll say LeBron and Wade are great players. That’s not going to change. But when Bosh plays great then their team plays great. He’s a key guy for them.”

Garnett will get the primary assignment and he will get help from Glen Davis, who will have to do his work early if Bosh takes him to the post. Bosh is very good at knocking down long jumpers and the Celtics would love to keep him out there.

“I consider him like a European player almost because he’s so big and he can shoot, dribble and things like that,” Davis said. “You just have to be physical with him and make sure he doesn’t have it easy. Make sure everything is tough for him. Make him earn every shot. Make him earn every layup and things like that.”

WHOSE ROLE PLAYERS WILL MATTER?

The Celtics use four players off the bench who are on paper more talented than Miami’s reserves. West, Davis, Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic have all started or played starter’s minutes in their career, while Chalmers, James Jones and Joel Anthony have been role player their entire careers.
But the Celtics reserves struggled mightily in the Knicks’ series until Game 4 and their production will be closely watched in this series, particularly Green.

Moving to the bench has been an adjustment for Green and Rivers ticked off the litany on Friday: “Not being a starter, less minutes, kind of being a featured player where he never was in Oklahoma. Playing two positions in a whole new system. That’s a lot of change.”

While Green strives to adapt and the Celtics second unit seeks to gain some consistency, the Heat counter with known commodities. Jones, Chalmers and Bibby are excellent 3-point shooters. Anthony can be a problem on the offensive glass and is an upgrade defensively on Zydrunas Ilgauskus, who can stretch the floor with his jumpshooting and take Jermaine O’Neal away from the paint.

The Celtics will need to limit second-chance points and also stay connected to their shooters, especially Rondo who likes to try to cause havoc from the weakside with steals. As evenly matches as these two teams are, just one small advantage either way here could be the difference.