Here is a complete breakdown of the match-ups for the upcoming playoff series against Atlanta.

Rondo vs. Bibby

Rondo has the physical advantage over Bibby and will be able to get past him on dribble penetration. Bibby at this point of his career cannot stay in front of him defensively. Rondo will have a lot of open looks from 15 feet out and beyond, Rondo has really improved his shot, but it is still not a weapon, so despite the opportunities don’t expect to see Rondo to become a volume shooter. Bibby is a better shooter, but Rondo runs his offense better than Bibby does his. Bibby may bring the ball up but he plays more like a SG guard than a true PG. Bibby will rarely get past his defender, and most of his passes are kick outs to teammates behind him instead of a traditional drive and dish attack. Rondo will have to be disciplined to stay with Bibby and not chase other players in help defense because Bibby will set up outside the three point line and use his quick release on a shot before a defender can recover. Expect to see some isolations run for Rondo to attack Bibby.

Wicked Good Sports and Rich Levine from The Improper Bostonian are proud to present The Dino Radja Experience Celtics Podcast.

The very intense Kevin Garnett sits down with Greg Dickerson. Warning: KG may or may not hurt you at any time during these interviews.

Here is a look at the 1st Round Schedule for the Celtics. Mike Gorman, Tommy Heinsohn and Greg Dickerson will bring you all the action beginning Sunday for Game 1. Make sure to tune-in to Comcast SportsNet tonight at 8:00pm for a one-hour playoff preview, “Drive for 17 presented by Mohegan Sun”.

Game 1: Sunday, April 20, 8:30 p.m. (CSN HD) — at Boston
Game 2: Wednesday, April 23, 8 p.m. (CSN HD) — at Boston
Game 3: Saturday, April 26, 8 p.m. (CSN HD) — at Atlanta
Game 4: Monday, April 28, 8 p.m. (CSN HD) — at Atlanta
Game 5: Wednesday, April 30 — at Boston (if necessary)
Game 6: Friday, May 2 — at Atlanta (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, May 4 — at Boston (if necessary)

Before we embark upon the postseason, it is worth one more look back on how far this team has come in one short year. Here’s a tale of the tape.

Wins in 06-07: 24
Wins in 07-08: 66

Defensive ranking 06-07: 24th (opp. FG 46.8%)
Defensive ranking 07-08: 1st (opp. FG 41.88%)

06-07 High point: Gerald Green wins dunk contest
07-08 High point: It just keeps getting better

06-07 Low point: 18 game losing streak
07-08 Low point: 3 game losing streak

April 2007 Storyline: Tanking for lottery balls
April 2008 Storyline: Resting stars for postseason

Doc Rivers status in April 2007: Hot seat
Doc Rivers status in April 2008: Coach of the Year candidate

Danny Ainge status in April 2007: Last chance summer
Danny Ainge status in April 2008: Leading Executive of the Year candidate

Paul Pierce status in April 2007: Pondering future outside of Boston
Paul Pierce status in April 2008: Pondering his place is Celtics history

Rajon Rondo status in April 2007: Solid rookie season; very shaky jumpshot
Rajon Rondo status in April 2008: One of the best young players in the league

It’s that time of year again.  Time to hand out the hardware to the Celtics.  Sure, you know KG is the MVP, Posey is the 6^th man, and Big Baby is the Rookie of the Year.  But what about some more obscure awards?

Unsung Coach: Clifford Ray

All the credit for the defense goes to Tom Thibbodeau and the rest of the credit goes to Doc, but how about the big man’s coach?  Heading into the season, the frontcourt depth behind the starters included Brian Scalabrine, a broken down Scot Pollard, and two undersized power forwards with little to no NBA experience.  Leon Powe and Big Baby Davis have grown up fast under the watchful eyes of Coach Ray.  He also deserves some praise for bringing along Perkins the last few years, and developing Big Al Jefferson to the point where he could be traded for KG.  Give it up for the big man.

Best Player Blog: Rajon Rondo

Name: Dennis
City: Nashua

Comment: Mike, 1986 vs. 2008 Celtics…who would win in a best of seven series if they played each other? I know it is tough to answer hypothetical questions like this, but if anyone would have a good reasoning, it would be the man that broadcasted both teams.

I know this sounds like a cop out but I think it would be anybody’s guess in seven games….the match ups would be fascinating with nobody having a defensive edge….who covers Bird…. KG…Pierce…Allen…McHale….it’s a pick’em if I ever saw one.

Name: Barry
City: Medford

Comment: Which player will have the biggest impact down the stretch for the Celtics?

KG…he is the heart and soul of this team.

Name: David B
City: Falmouth

Comment: Hey Mike, I always wonder how you get all of your stats? You have some crazy ones on spot all of the time. Do you have some sort of a display?

I have a guy named Dick Lipe who sits next to me who is the best stats guy in the business. He is responsible for all the stuff you hear.

Name: Gerry
City: Peabody

The playoffs, a time presented to us fans that encompasses joy, rapture and a stress level higher than a Jack Clark popup. Well, you know what I mean.

If the season were to end today, the Celtics would play the 35-40 Atlanta Hawks. The only other squad they might possibly face in the first round would be Philadelphia (38-37). But with Atlanta and Philly on tap for a home and home series this weekend, the Celtics’ first round matchup should be decided by Sunday.

As for Atlanta, they are a team that has won five games in a row and is actually stocked with some well-rounded players like point guard Mike Bibby, shooting guard and former Celtic Joe Johnson and power forward Josh Smith.

They are five wins ahead of last years final win total of 30 and are No. 15 amongst all NBA teams with 98 points scored per game. In addition, they are ranked 16th in the league with a 45.3 field goal percentage and are positioned a surprising 12th in the league with a mere 99.5 points allowed per game.

Rondo. One minute you’re agreeing with the Chris Paul MVP argument and the next Rondo is playing him even for eight quarters with no indication anything’s changing anytime soon. Rajon’s emergence from the shadow of the big three is the year’s best unexpected storyline.