As we sit about two weeks from the NBA’s halfway point, it is necessary to assess the phenomenon that is the Boston Celtics and their ridiculously fast start. After last Saturday night’s win in Detroit, the C’s were 29-3, good for an obscene .906 winning percentage. The Eastern Conference race isn’t over just yet, but don’t go looking for the Celts to play any game sevens outside of The Hub of Western Civilization. Barring some sort of injury cataclysm or a perceived need for Doc Rivers to start overcoaching, Boston is headed for homecourt heaven.

Before this goes any further, there is the small matter of full disclosure to address. I am a Philadelphia native. I remember many of the Sixers’ playoff meltdowns against the Celtics. The others — “Havlicek stole the ball!” — were relayed to me by my father, a frontrunning Celtic fan who betrayed his Philly roots by cheering for Red Auerbach’s team. Understand? This isn’t easy to write, and objectivity remains elusive, but at least I’m honest.

So, what of these Celtics? First off, there is the honeymoon factor. Thirty-two games don’t constitute the usual period of blissful union. That’s a little long, but when you have three rich guys like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, you don’t just take a one-week junket to the islands. You go around the world, and that takes time. Boston hasn’t faced any adversity yet, in part because it hasn’t played poorly enough to encounter anything like a losing streak, but also because the three big names on the roster have yet to squawk about sharing the spotlight — or the basketball.

For instance, Ray Allen hasn’t averaged fewer than 20 points a game since the abridged ’98-99 campaign. But here he is, scoring 18 a night and smiling all the way. Not that Ray isn’t a little concerned these days. In three games since the New Year, he has scored just 24 points, including just two in an 0-for-9 field goal nightmare against Memphis. The Celtics are winning, so he’s happy.

Another big reason for the harmony is that the Celtics’ supporting cast is clearly that, a group of willing shadow dwellers with no illusions of stardom, at least for now. Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Eddie House, James Posey, Glen Davis and Tony Allen are the perfect sidekicks for their more established teammates. Only House and Posey have played more than four years in the league, and neither has been a star at any point in his career. Asking these guys to get out of the way in key situations hasn’t required any heavy lifting for Rivers. What is Rondo going to do, demand more shots at the expense of Pierce? Please.

Another big reason for the Celtics’ success is the relative weakness of the Eastern Conference. This isn’t meant to be another bashing of the East, but facts are facts. There are only two other clubs of note in the 15-team bunch: Detroit and Orlando. The rest are .500 or worse. That means plenty of easy wins for a team with savvy vets like the Celts’ Big Three. And just to show that this isn’t a shot at Boston that insinuates things will get harder down the road, consider that the Celts have already played the Lakers twice, Denver and Utah. Of course, since Boston still has both games remaining with San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix and Portland, things do get harder down the road.

Can Boston keep it up? That’s unlikely, because the Celtics are on pace to win an NBA-record 74 games, and that would be one of the most remarkable feats in modern sports history, right up there next to the Patriots’ 16-0 regular ’07 season. (Anybody else sick of the Boston domination?) Also, since Boston has five-game Western road trips remaining in February and March, it is unlikely it will sustain the pace. But 68 wins? A definite possibility. Seventy? Still available.

For now, it’s best to marvel at the team’s chemistry and ability to play so well, so quickly, despite several new pieces. But before we crown this team one of the best ever, or even grant it membership into the franchise’s own Valhalla, let’s wait to see how things go in the post-season, when it’s a lot harder to promote harmony among superstars, and the adversity is doled out in larger, harder-to-swallow doses.

GAME(S) OF THE WEEK: Detroit at Dallas/San Antonio
Holy Back-to-Back, Pistons! Make it through this one, and Detroit can erase any lingering bad feelings from its loss to Boston last week. The ‘Stones must deal with the surging Mavs on Wednesday and rev it up again quickly enough to handle the Spurs one night later. Either game could serve as a Finals preview, and a 1-1 split would be reason for celebration.

IN THE PAINT
If the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum could play 82 games against the Sixers, he would be a Hall of Fame candidate. In the teams’ first meeting, on Dec. 21, Bynum scored 24 points (on 10-of-11 shooting) and grabbed 11 boards. Less than two weeks later, he had 17 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.

Here comes Cleveland. The Cavs have won seven of 10 and are in second place in the Central. Chicago, are you next?

Everybody loves Portland’s story, but while the Blazers go nuts, Denver keeps the lead in the Northwest. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony were supposed to be in a death match at this point, but they are co-existing nicely.

While the Celtics try to set the NBA record for most wins in a season, the T-Wolves are flirting with the other end of the spectrum. They are on pace for nine victories, which would tie them with the wretched ’72-73 Sixers, who went 9-73. Minnesota doesn’t defend, turns it over way too much and doesn’t share well.

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