Kevin Garnett has been an NBA All-Defensive selection every year since 2000. But he’s never been named Defensive Player of the Year. Expect that to change in 2008.

With Garnett at the hub, the Boston Celtics have become not only the best defensive team in the league, but one of the best of all-time. Making the move from Minnesota got Garnett’s competitive juices flowing again, which can be seen in his effort on defense compared to last year. He’s also got a premium defender in Rajon Rondo working on the perimeter. Rondo allows Garnett to stay closer to the basket, where he does his best work.

Garnett is having an MVP-quality season on a team that is enjoying a historic turnaround. He won’t get that award in a season where the Kobe Bryant media bandwagon has filled up. Winning a championship and a Defensive POY will have to do for the Big Ticket.

Any self-respecting basketball fan knows the Boston Celtics have started the season a perfect 7-0. However, a winning record doesn’t always translate to big profits for bettors wagering on the spread. Until now, as the Celts are also a perfect 7-0 ATS.

The Celtics haven’t exactly been knocking off the best teams in the league, though. In fact so far Boston has had it pretty easy with six of their seven games against teams from the East. The only Western Conference squad the Celtics have faced so far this season is the Denver Nuggets, whom they easily dispatched 119-93 as a 6-point favorite.

Next up on the Celtics’ schedule looks like another easy cover, versus the 1-7 Miami Heat. Their biggest test may come right after they cool off the Heat, when they face the current second-best team in the East, the Orlando Magic. If the Celtics can keep covering against Orlando the only eventual roadblock might be the elite teams from the West. Boston doesn’t play Dallas until January and San Antonio until February.