Boston 88, Miami 80

What did we learn about the Miami Heat last night? Absolutely nothing.

[recap] [box score]

In fact, the only thing we really learned is that anyone who thought that a team of three All-Stars could join up with a group of more or less replacement-level players and turn into a historically good team -- one capable of winning 73 games and beating the defending Eastern Conference champs on the road -- overnight doesn't understand, or temporarily forgot, how basketball works. Sure, injuries played a role -- Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers missed the game due to them, and Dwyane Wade's leg injury stole away most of his preseason and thus the chance to mesh with his new teammates. But so did the fact that the Heat starters basically had to play 3-on-5 on offense, and so did the fact that LeBron James and Wade have played such similar roles over their careers that a period of adjustment was inevitable, and so did the fact that Chris Bosh's perimeter-oriented game isn't necessarily the best complement to James and Wade.

Even when the Heat cut an 18-point third-quarter deficit to six by the end of the period (and eventually shaved it to three) we weren't witnessing a glimpse of the Heat's potential. We were witnessing something we've seen so many times before; James taking over a game. We've seen him do this before, with Cleveland, and it didn't work then, and it won't work now. Wade and Bosh were horrible tonight and played well below what is expected of them, but them playing at their best wouldn't have improved the team's production during that particular stretch. When you score on nearly every possession, there's little room for improvement.

Look, Miami was bad tonight. It was mentioned during the telecast that the Heat's nine-point first quarter and 30-point first half were worse than any quarter or half the team played last year (pre-James/Bosh). They'll get better. But they are not going to be as good as quickly as so many expected them to be.

Enough about the Heat. What did we learn about the Celtics?

Well, first, we learned that a lot of things haven't changed. We still lose focus once we get out to what appears to be a comfortable lead. We're still dependent on Rajon Rondo to create the majority of our offense. We're still an elite defensive team. Doc still only has the one in-game huddle speech ("If you trust each other, we'll win").

But we also learned -- or had confirmed for us -- a few new things.

First, Kevin Garnett's healthier than he was last year. He struggled in the opener, committing seven turnovers, but to me, it looked like he was just jittery -- not unusual for KG.

Second, we learned that Glen Davis might be ready to be a big contributor off the bench. This one comes with a caveat, because Davis historically puts on his best performances when the cameras are shining brightest. But beyond his performance on the offensive end (where he had 13 points), Davis turned in a really good defensive effort. He drew a couple of charges, which is fairly standard for him. But he also played some terrific on-ball, one-on-one defense against Bosh in the second quarter.

Third, our bench is going to be a major asset this season. In addition to Davis, I thought Marquis Daniels had a great game, looking aggressive on offense and nothing like the player he was at the end of last year. I'm a little worried that Nate Robinson still hasn't found a comfortable role in the offense, but hopeful that Delonte West's return will help with that. And while Jermaine O'Neal looked really rusty after an injury-plagued preseason, he had a couple blocked shots tonight and I think he'll be a perfectly serviceable player (either off the bench or with the starting unit.

Some bullets:

• I thought Shaquille O'Neal had a strong debut, even after missing two easy layups at the start of the game. The jury's still out on his defense, because the Heat decided not to attack him on the screen and roll with Joel Anthony. But he's still something of a force to be reckoned with on offense and on the glass, and he'll draw his fair share of fouls. That has value, even if he doesn't convert at the line.
• With that said, I thought Shaq didn't get rid of the ball quickly enough on a couple of occasions after grabbing a defensive rebound. We're a lot better in transition and on the secondary break than we are in the halfcourt, and Shaq will need to do a better job of getting the rock to Rondo quickly.
• Although the Celtics ultimately had a rebounding edge, they gave up a bunch of offensive rebounds in the first half. We weren't a great rebounding team with Kendrick Perkins; without him, we'll need to do a better job of finding bodies first, then going and getting the ball.
• Until West gets back, we'll probably see one of the starters playing with the second team. Last year, that guy was often Ray Allen. Tonight, it was Paul Pierce at first, and later, Rajon Rondo. Rondo makes sense in that it allows Robinson to play off the ball (the way he would when West is in the game), but I was surprised to see Pierce out there, mainly because he and Daniels are our only small forwards. It worked, though; Boston broke the game open in the second.

Win one is in the books, and with it, perhaps a small statement to the Heat and the rest of the Eastern Conference. There's a long way to go, of course, and I, for one, am glad to start the journey.