01-26-2012, 08:44 PM
The Boston Celtics are officially in trouble.
Their schedule, age and the talent on other teams have all conspired to create a toxic combination of factors that have led the Celtics to their current 7-9 record.
The Celtics have played nearly a quarter of the 66-game, lockout-shortened schedule, and the team is clearly in need of some changes.
Could Boston possibly find some rhythm, get in a groove and make a run that would put the Celtics in the postseason?
Sure, but making the playoffs in the NBA just isn't the same as accomplishing that feat in Major League Baseball or the National Football League.
In the NBA, 16 teams make the postseason. The debate about whether or not a team that barely makes the playoffs only to exit in the first round has had a "successful" season is one in which Celtics fans don't partake. The Celtics have a championship tradition.
With that weighing heavily on the mind of Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, there is increasing speculation that he will embark on a plan to "blow up" the current roster by trading away key components such as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
If that were to happen, it would leave Rajon Rondo as the biggest star on an unfamiliar and completely revamped Celtics roster.
Could Rondo be the player that Ainge and Doc Rivers retain and by attrition would then be anointed the team's newest "franchise" player?
Paul Pierce's play the past week likely makes him a valuable trade commodity.
Elsa/Getty Images
Rondo may end up being the focal point of the Celtics, but there would still be some unanswered questions surrounding his ability to be a franchise type of starâprimarily his ability to score.
To this point in Rondo's career, he's benefited from being surrounded by one of the best shooters in NBA history in Ray Allen and one of the best all-around scorers in NBA history in Paul Pierce.
If both players were jettisoned to other teams to clear cap space or hoard draft picks, the scoring burden would be shifted dramatically toward Rondo. The manner of his response would be very telling with regards to him being labeled a "franchise" type of player.
Currently, Rondo is averaging a career-high 15.0 points per game. A nice average, but that's not going to be enough if the bulk of the current Celtic offense is operating in different uniforms.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/10361...-broken-up
Their schedule, age and the talent on other teams have all conspired to create a toxic combination of factors that have led the Celtics to their current 7-9 record.
The Celtics have played nearly a quarter of the 66-game, lockout-shortened schedule, and the team is clearly in need of some changes.
Could Boston possibly find some rhythm, get in a groove and make a run that would put the Celtics in the postseason?
Sure, but making the playoffs in the NBA just isn't the same as accomplishing that feat in Major League Baseball or the National Football League.
In the NBA, 16 teams make the postseason. The debate about whether or not a team that barely makes the playoffs only to exit in the first round has had a "successful" season is one in which Celtics fans don't partake. The Celtics have a championship tradition.
With that weighing heavily on the mind of Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, there is increasing speculation that he will embark on a plan to "blow up" the current roster by trading away key components such as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
If that were to happen, it would leave Rajon Rondo as the biggest star on an unfamiliar and completely revamped Celtics roster.
Could Rondo be the player that Ainge and Doc Rivers retain and by attrition would then be anointed the team's newest "franchise" player?
Paul Pierce's play the past week likely makes him a valuable trade commodity.
Elsa/Getty Images
Rondo may end up being the focal point of the Celtics, but there would still be some unanswered questions surrounding his ability to be a franchise type of starâprimarily his ability to score.
To this point in Rondo's career, he's benefited from being surrounded by one of the best shooters in NBA history in Ray Allen and one of the best all-around scorers in NBA history in Paul Pierce.
If both players were jettisoned to other teams to clear cap space or hoard draft picks, the scoring burden would be shifted dramatically toward Rondo. The manner of his response would be very telling with regards to him being labeled a "franchise" type of player.
Currently, Rondo is averaging a career-high 15.0 points per game. A nice average, but that's not going to be enough if the bulk of the current Celtic offense is operating in different uniforms.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/10361...-broken-up