The Celtics started the season hot, winning their first eight games, and going into 2008 with a 26–3 record. Before 2007 closed, Brandon Wallace was released in order to have even more roster flexibility, bringing the roster down to the league minimum of 13 players. During the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend, Allen and Pierce invited resting center P. J. Brown to join the Celtics, and Brown eventually signed with the team on February 28. The final roster move occurred on March 4, as guard free agent Sam Cassell signed with the Celtics, even if his debut was delayed due to attending a family funeral on his hometown of Baltimore.