By Marc Thaler
Managing Sports Editor

OK, it’s been more than a year, so I’ll admit it: Roughly 12 months ago, I went a tad bit overboard when ’Toine returned to town.

Danny Ainge’s decision to bring Antoine Walker back to Boston most certainly meant the Celtics were poised to punish a few Eastern Conference foes in the NBA playoffs.

“I had a lot of success (in Boston) early in my career,” Walker said to me in March ’05. “With me coming back, we just added another piece to the puzzle.”

Walker’s impact on the court was immediate. Following two ugly losses on the West Coast after the all-star break, Boston made its move for Walker. His services and veteran presence eventually helped the Celts win the Atlantic Division title.

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Clearly, I was in the camp foolishly ready to assign the status of champ to the C’s. With Walker back in the mix, this column was Celtics Central for three straight weeks from March 3 to 17.

Without question, yours truly provided an entirely new meaning to March Madness.

One year older – and hopefully a bit wiser – I recently found myself excited about the Celtics yet again. Naturally, Walker had a hand in this newfound excitement.

When the former Boston captain buried 13 points worth of buckets on March 1 at the Garden, he helped the Miami Heat prevent the young C’s from posting their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Proving fate works in mysterious ways, Walker connected for three fourth-quarter treys – the exact shots he was consistently criticized for taking when wearing Celtics green.

Ultimately, in a fun and competitive contest, Boston lost, 103-96. The setback negated another fabulous effort from Paul Pierce, who hit for 38 points.

Nonetheless, Boston’s matchup with Miami – outcome included – represented the Celtics’ best possible route for a return to greatness.

So here it is, fellow Celtics followers: The best chance for Boston to seriously contend for a title involves close contests that end in defeat.

The Celtics are displaying young, exciting talent on Causeway Street.

Names like Delonte West, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Ryan Gomes, Tony Allen, Orien Greene and Gerald Green appear to be the future of the franchise.

Other than Pierce, who’s played deep into the playoffs in previous seasons, this young group is largely inexperienced. The best way to develop that group of talent is to – you’ve heard it before – “Play the kids.”

That’s what Doc Rivers is doing. And I’m not-so-secretly hoping they lose, green pompoms waving high above my head.

However, I’m not talking about lopsided losses, the type associated with the ML Carr era. The losses I want to see include inspired play, moments of brilliance, and most importantly, mistakes.

Mistakes which can be dissected and corrected as the regular-season schedule shrinks – and the games grow in significance. For other teams, I mean.

It’s not the ideal solution to solving the Celtics’ championship drought. But it’s the best option.

Depending on aging veterans to help the team lock up the eighth-and-final playoff spot doesn’t do the organization any good.

Competitive losses will allow the young players to mature. In addition, the team should have a chance to land a lottery pick in the NBA draft.

At this point, fans must pick their poison. They can watch the C’s continue to depend on veteran production and make that annual first-round playoff exit. Or, they can support a squad suffering through necessary growing pains.

Realistically, option No. 2 is the only way Boston will earn title No. 17.