End of an Era

Six years after it began, the second Big Three era in Boston has officially come to an end.

A few months from now Doc Rivers, the team's head coach for nine seasons, will be drawing up alley oops for Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the greatest Celtics since Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, will be suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets. And Ray Allen, who broke Reggie Miller's career three-point record with the Celts, will be back with the Miami Heat helping them gun for their third straight NBA championship.

The thought of all that, of Pierce and KG not retiring with the Celtics, of Rivers coaching against them, of Allen helping LeBron James instead of hurting him, is hard for me to wrap my head around. It shouldn't, because this day was a long time coming. Danny Ainge said over and over that he wasn't going to repeat Red Auerbach's mistake of keeping McHale and Bird into their golden years instead of trading them when they still had value. Red's unwillingness to break up the original Big Three (along with the death of Len Bias and not getting Tim Duncan in the '97 draft) was a big reason why the team went 21 years between Finals appearances.

Ainge took that lesson to heart. There's no room for sentimentality in sports. When the time came, he'd do what needed to be done, no matter how much it hurt.

So now, with his stars approaching the twilight phases of their careers and the team in a state of transition, he pulled the trigger on a pair of blockbuster trades to reshape his roster and start preparing for life after Pierce, Garnett, and Allen.

Still, a small part of me didn't want to let them go. I wanted to see Pierce and Garnett play their last games wearing the Celtics green. I wanted Doc to guide them through the rebuilding process. I wanted a chance to say good-bye.

Now, all that's left of the Big Three is the memories, the fondest of which have been fading for quite some time.

There was the title year of 2008, when the Celtics were just as good as everyone thought they'd be. Boston's new super-team ran roughshod over the league, winning 66 regular season games and hoisting the franchise's 17th Finals trophy on the Parquet floor in June after thoroughly dismantling Kobe Bryant's Lakers. At the time it felt like we were witnessing the birth of the next Celtics dynasty, when in reality it was just the beginning of a prolonged hunt for that elusive 18th title.

Then came the much-anticipated title defense of 2009, as Boston looked to become the franchise's first repeat champions since Bill Russell's 1968-'69 teams. They probably would have done it, too, had they not lost Kevin Garnett to a season-ending knee injury in February, forcing them to lean heavily on Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis during the playoffs.

That was followed by the crushing near-miss of 2010, when the Celtics went up 3-2 in their finals rematch with the Lakers, only to have Kendrick Perkins' knee explode in Game 6 and blow a 13 point third quarter lead in Game 7. In 2011 Perkins was traded to the Thunder for Jeff Green, dealing an emotional blow to a team that felt like it would have beaten the Lakers had Perkins remained healthy. Demoralized and depleted, they were bounced from the first round by Miami's juggernaut and seemed to be finished as serious championship contenders.

But in 2012, the Celtics made everyone believe again. Dismissed as too old and slow, they somehow willed themselves to within one win of the NBA Finals before the Heat snuffed out their hopes for one last shot at a title. The Celtics had no business getting that far, but they defied the odds and penned a heartwarming postseason story. Perhaps with the right moves, they'd be able to fight Father Time for another year and keep their championship window open just a bit longer.

We didn't know it at the time, but that was the beginning of the end. It started when Ray Allen--the greatest pure shooter of all time--defected to the Miami Heat for less money. He felt disrespected after Ainge tried to trade him (twice) and brought in Jason Terry. At the end of the day, money wasn't everything, especially for a man who'd earned nearly $200 million of it. Allen knew joining forces with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh greatly improved his chances of winning another ring. Sure enough, Allen got the last laugh when he helped the Heat clinch another NBA title.

Back in Boston, Terry and Courtney Lee weren't the answer and the team's playoff hopes went up in smoke when Rajon Rondo shredded his ACL in late January. Ainge missed a prime opportunity to tear the team apart at the trading deadline, instead deciding to hold out and explore his options after the season. To their credit, the resilient C's fought on without Rondo, hanging tough with the New York Knicks for six games in the first round. However, it was obvious the once proud Celtics had deteriorated into a .500 team, good enough to make the playoffs but not nearly talented enough to compete for a championship. Drastic changes were required.

Rivers saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship. He made it clear that he didn't want to stay, essentially forcing his way out of town a la Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony. He turned his back on a front office that stuck with him during the rough times early in his tenure and recently made him the league's highest paid coach. In return, all the Celtics could fetch for him was an unprotected first round pick in 2015, not Eric Bledsoe and/or DeAndre Jordan as they originally hoped.

I hate the manner in which Rivers left Boston, bailing out with three years left on his contract, but if he couldn't commit to the rebuilding process then he wasn't the right man for the job. You don't want to be here? Fine. Go. Good riddance. Besides, I've always felt that he's better handling veterans than he is with fostering the growth of young players (not that there were many of those in recent years). The Celtics would benefit from a new voice on the bench, a patient coach willing to put the work in now and reap the rewards later.

That said, the Clippers are lucky to have Rivers, a spiritual leader who connected with his players and always seemed to squeeze the most out of them. He's also the best coach in the league when it came to drawing up plays out of time outs. Rivers represents a significant upgrade over Vinny Del Negro, whose incompetence has prevented the Clippers from reaching their full potential these past two years. With Rivers at the helm, LA looks like a serious championship contender.

So do the Nets, who now boast a starting five of Pierce, Garnett, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez. Pierce and Garnett are old, but they can still play at a high level. The future Hall of Famers are much better than the men they'll replace: Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace.

The Celtics, on the other hand, aren't going to raise that 18th championship banner anytime soon. Realistically, it'd be in their best interest to tank this season and land a top draft slot in next year's draft, which is shaping up to be one of the best in years. The last time they tried that they missed out on Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, but ended up trading for Allen and Garnett so everything worked out.

In the meantime, Boston is officially Rajon Rondo's team, which I suspect is how he always wanted it to be. They've been his team at various points in recent seasons, especially during the playoffs, but now they're really his team. He'll have to make the most out of a less than stellar supporting cast--Humphries, Wallace, Jared Sullinger, and Avery Bradley--but the onus is on him to elevate his game (read: scoring) and play like the superstar he's shown himself capable of being when he wants to be (aka national TV Rondo).

Boston fans can only hope he gets along better than the new coach than he did with Rivers. Otherwise, it won't be long before he gets pushed out the door, too.

Celtics lose Rondo, Beat Heat

The Celtics were Rondo's team, but now he won't be there to guide them 

The Boston Celtics won Sunday afternoon's game against the Miami Heat, but lost their star point guard for the rest of the year.

In what has already been a rollercoaster (read: frustrating) season for the Celtics, it was fitting that the team suffered a crushing loss while in the midst of securing its most exciting win of 2013.

Rajon Rondo sat out today's tilt on account of his hyperextended right knee, an injury he suffered during Boston's demoralizing double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. It didn't appear to be serious but his precautionary MRI revealed a torn ACL. Rondo will undergo surgery and is out indefinitely.

It goes without saying that losing Rondo is a devastating blow to the Celtics, especially on offense. Rondo is directly responsible for 17 made field goals per game (5.9 scored, 11.1 assisted), nearly half of his team's 36.7 field goals per game. That's a huge hole to fill, especially since Boston lacks a true backup point guard. Rondo's irreplaceable, but for the time being Doc Rivers will slide Avery Bradley (a shooting guard by trade) over to the point and use Courtney Lee at the two. Combo guard Jason Terry should also see an uptick in playing time, but all three must pick up the slack. Hopefully Danny Ainge can find a decent replacement on the trade market, but right now it doesn't look like there's much out there.

He can't afford to sit around and do nothing. It's hard to see Boston, 20-23 with Rondo and currently in the eighth seed, holding onto a playoff spot without their best player. The Philadelphia 76ers trail them by 2.5 games but expect Andrew Bynum to return before the All-Star Break. When healthy, he's one of the top centers in the game, the kind of impact player that can push Philly over the top and get them back to the postseason. Boston looks like a .500 team with each passing day and its schedule is only going to get harder. There's a rough road to hoe, and it doesn't look like Doc Rivers has the tools to meet the challenge.

But if today's game is any indication, the Celtics' season may not have gone up in smoke along with their point guard's. In a throwback display of pride and determination, Boston still managed to defeat the Heat 100-98 in a double-OT thriller. The win snapped a six game losing streak for the Celtics, who hadn't won an overtime game since December 12th.

After blowing a 27-point lead in Atlanta Friday night, Boston bounced back with a tenacious effort to kick off its four game homestand. The Green ground it out by getting back on D and digging in, preventing Miami from pushing the tempo and beating them with their athleticism. Celtics defenders filled the lanes, deflected passes and forced 20 turnovers. They couldn't stop LeBron James (who can?), but held red-hot Dwyane Wade to 6-of-20 shooting. They turned Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, and Shane Battier into non-factors. They even held their own on the boards despite allowing James and Chris Bosh, who's averaged 6.1 rebounds per game since December 13th, to inhale 16 boards apiece.

Boston's bench play keyed the victory as well, for Celtics reserves outscored Miami's bench 39-23. Jason Terry struggled with his shot (1-for-7 from beyond the arc) but still contributed 13 points, while Jeff Green dropped 11 in a whopping 42 minutes of court time. Leandro Barbosa chipped in nine points. The Heat got 21 points from Ray Allen but a whole lot of nothing from Battier, Joel Anthony, Norris Cole and Rashard Lewis.

Speaking of Allen, Ray Ray made his much-anticipated return to the TD Garden after going Benedict Arnold on the Celtics last summer. Jesus Shuttlesworth teased the Garden crowd with a stellar performance that had to make Celtics fans wonder why Danny Ainge ever let him leave. The timeless sharpshooter logged more than 38 minutes off the bench and rained 21 points through the Garden nets, proving he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. His signature highlight was the corner three he buried to trim Boston's lead to one with 25 seconds remaining in regulation, the kind of clutch shot that endeared him to Celtics fans before he turned to the dark side.

The other members of Boston's new Big Three also played well. Paul Pierce gritted his way through 49 minutes to notch a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Garnett enjoyed his tenth double-double of the season by amassing 24 points and 11 boards. Both needed to step up with Rondo out, and they certainly rose to the occasion. They must sustain that high level of play in the second half if Boston is going to secure a postseason berth.

The Celtics have a couple days off to catch their breath before they resume play again on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Hopefully 48 minutes will be enough to decide that game, because if the Celtics play any more overtime games they're not going to make it to the All-Star Break, much less the playoffs.

Celtics Sputtering

After dropping six of their past eight games, the Boston Celtics stumble into tonight's tilt in Sacramento with a 14-15 record.

The last few games have been downright ugly. After enjoying a big win in Brooklyn on Christmas Day, the Celtics flew out to California for a three game set but apparently left their A Game behind on the East Coast. On Thursday they were blown out of the Staples Center by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers. Boston mustered just 77 points, its lowest scoring output of the season, while allowing the Clips to pile up 106. Last night's tilt against the Golden State Warriors didn't go much better. Minus Rajon Rondo and Leandro Barbosa, the shorthanded C's managed 83 points against Golden State's much improved defense and lost by 18.

Why is Boston off to another sluggish start? How come the Celts aren't just losing, but losing badly (in two-thirds of their losses they were outscored by at least ten points)?

Well, they're old, but you knew that already. The simple answer is a lack of rebounding, especially on the offensive end. Boston ranks second-to-last in the Association in offensive rebounding and total rebounding, and routinely gets crushed on the boards. It's telling that Kevin Garnett leads the team in blocks and rebounds with 0.8 swats and 6.9 rebounds per game. The starting five has ample size with KG and Brandon Bass, but the second unit is woefully undersized (especially with Chris Wilcox sideline by a sprained thumb) and gets eaten alive by bigger, stronger teams.

The defense is still good but has been undermined by this lack of size as well. Last year the Celtics had the stingiest defense in the league, one that allowed the second fewest points per game and boasted the best Defensive Rating. So far this season the defense is letting up eight more points per game and ranks near the middle of the pack. I haven't been impressed by the interior defense, but fully expect the perimeter D to improve once defensive stalwart Avery Bradley returns from shoulder surgery.

The offense has been underwhelming as well, despite great starts from Rondo and Paul Pierce. Newcomers Jason Terry and Courtney Lee were expected to fill the void left by Ray Allen but have been disappointments so far. Neither one looks comfortable in their new digs yet. The Jet's usage rate is way down, from 23.3 percent last year to 17.5 percent this season, and his field goal attempts have dropped by one-third. He needs to look for his shot more and not be afraid to pull the trigger. As for Lee, he's struggled with his outside shot, converting fewer three-point attempts than ever before. Doc Rivers gave him a lot of run last night--a whopping 40 minutes--and he responded with 18 points. Hopefully that performance inspires confidence in Lee and gets him back on track.

It's still too early to panic. Last year Boston got off to a similarly sluggish start--15 wins and 17 losses--before turning it around and going 24-10 to close out the season. I expect the Celtics will start to gel soon enough once the newcomers settle in. This year's squad has been plagued by inconsistency and underperformance early on, but it's only a matter of time before it turns the corner, gets on a roll and plays like the team that came within one win of a Finals appearance last spring.  Danny Ainge would be wise to trade for another big man to bolster the frontcourt, but I don't believe a major shake-up is necessary.

Tonight, in their final game of 2012, the Celtics finish up their West Coast swing with a favorable matchup against the Kings. Look for the Green to end the year on a high note.

Basketball Moves

It's been a busy week in the NBA, as teams have begun to make moves and shake up their rosters.  A look back at some of the notable trades and transactions:

Deron Williams remains with Brooklyn Nets
D-Will was deciding between Dallas and Brooklyn, but I didn't think he was going to leave, anyways.  Not when the Nets just traded for Joe Johnson, signed Gerald Wallace for four years and are seriously pursuing Dwight Howard via another trade.  Even without D-Ho on board, that's a formidable team (on paper) right there.  He can't complain about the $98.5 million he'll be adding to his bank account over the next five years, either.

T-Wolves sign Brandon Roy, make offer to Nicolas Batum
Minnesota knows Roy (two years, $10.4 million) has no cartilage left in his knees, right?  That's ten million bucks down the drain right there.  Batum is a talented 23 year-old swingman who hasn't reached his ceiling yet, but I'm not sure he's worth the four year, $45 million investment that the Wolves are considering.

Brandon Bass re-ups with Celtics
The 27 year-old power forward opted out of the final year of his contract, worth $4.25 million, to test the market as an unrestricted free agent.  It didn't take him too long to decide that he wants to remain a Celtic after all.  He became a full-time starter after Jermaine O'Neal injured his wrist and Kevin Garnett slid over to center.  At 6'8", 240 pounds (LeBron James' exact specifications) he's slightly undersized for a power forward, but he makes up for it with decent length, athleticism, and a nice jump shot.  I've stated many times in this space, going back to the Glen Davis trade in December, that I liked Bass in Boston, and I certainly like him for three more years at $20 million.

Ray Allen signs with Heat for three years, nine million
The rich just continue to get richer as another future Hall of Famer takes his talents to South Beach.  Allen's the knockdown shooter off the bench the 2012 NBA champions sorely needed, and he'll be a great spot starter to plug in for Dwyane Wade, who will invariably miss a few games here and there.   Boston's offer--$12 million over two years--would have paid him twice as much money annually, but Wade and James recruited him hard.  Besides, the soon-to-be-37 year old made nearly $200 million in his career an additional three million wouldn't do much to change his mind.  It sucks, but his career had run it's course in Boston; Danny Ainge put him on the trading block last season and he lost his starting job to the emerging Avery Bradley after getting hurt.  Once the Celtics committed to Terry, there just wasn't enough room for him.  And so the all-time three point king will finish out his career in Miami's red and black, continuing to distance himself from Reggie Miller by drilling open treys from the corner off drive-and-kicks from Batman and Robin. And he'll probably win another championship or two. That's a nice life if you can get it.

Steve Nash signs with Lakers
On the surface, the "Slowtime" Lakers signing a 38 year-old point guard for three years, $27 million doesn't look like a great idea.  But Nash, who's led the NBA in total assists three years running (and six of the previous eight) is the greatest playmaker of young millenium.  As a shooter he's picking his spots now; his nine field goal attempts per game were the fewest since his 1999-2000 campaign with Dallas, but he shot a career best 53.2 percent from the floor.  On a team with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol he won't be relied upon to score much, anyways.  His stellar outside shot will be much appreciated on a team that doesn't have many three-point threats.  Even at his advanced age, he helped push the Suns to the eighth best pace and ninth best offense in the league last season.  The aging Lakers, on the other hand, ranked 20th overall in pace last season and have become much more stagnant when they run the offense through Kobe, who feels most comfortable on isolation plays.  Nash thrives off the pick and roll, so their games don't really mesh and they're going to need an adjustment period to get used to each other, specifically Kobe getting used to not having the ball in his hands as much.  He has to recognize that this team hasn't had a great facilitator running the point since the days of Magic Johnson, but that's about to change.   At his age health has to be a concern, but Nash keeps himself in phenomenal shape and has missed an average of just four games per year over his last eleven seasons.  He won't help out on the defensive end, but I think we can all agree that this move represents a massive upgrade over Derek Fisher/Ramon Sessions.

Jason Kidd signs with Knicks
The 39 year-old point guard is in the twilight of his career, but he's still a nice piece to have on the bench.  He still has a solid three point shot, handles the ball well and can be an effective player on both ends of the court in limited minutes.  Plus he's a great veteran presence that can tutor the still-raw Jeremy Lin.

Jason Terry signs with Celtics
The JET has landed in Boston, and I'm a big fan of this signing.  The Celtics have struggled offensively for the past several years, and in Terry they're adding a potent weapon who can create his own shot and help spread the floor At 34 years old he's no spring chicken, so he follows the recent Celtics trend of adding free agents who are already in the second act of their careers i.e. Rasheed Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal.  God forbid the Celts try to inject a little youth into their roster, right?  Terry's age doesn't concern me too much though, because shooters tend to age gracefully and can remain effective well into their thirties (see Allen, Ray).  Besides, he's been a picture of health his whole career--knock on wood--never missing more than eight games in any season, so hopefully that doesn't change.  Like James Harden he's good enough to start, but is comfortable coming off the bench and can provide instant offense in a pinch.  He has some awfully big shoes to fill in Boston, a city that quickly fell in love with Ray's smooth shooting stroke and penchant for drilling clutch three pointers.  While Terry is not the sniper Allen is, he's a great shooter that has the ability to bury a team with a barrage of threes, as he did against the Lakers in the 2011 Conference semis. I don't think Celtics fans will take long to warm up to Terry, who hit a ton of big shots with Dallas and usually saves his best for the fourth quarter.

Clippers trade for Lamar Odom, sign Chauncey Billups and Jamal Crawford
The Clips are hoping a return to LA's spotlight can reinvigorate Odom, who looked miserable with the Dallas Mavericks last year and hit rock bottom when he was demoted to the D-League in March. He can't possibly be that bad again, and if he can play anywhere close to the level he was at with the Lakers, he'll be a big boost to this team in the already formidable frontcourt and provide some depth off the bench behind Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. He's a big improvement over Kenyon Martin, can play center when Del Negro wants to go small and can use his size and length to create a mismatch against smaller power forwards. The Clippers lose Mo Williams in the trade. Lebron's former sidekick was fantastic after Billups went down last season and helped carry the sagging Clippers offense for stretches, but if Billups can stay healthy then they won't miss him too much.

Jamal Crawford will replAce Williams and is expected to sign for three years, $15.7 million.  He's a combo guard who can give the Clippers some size in the backcourt, but not much else.  His shooting numbers have dipped each of the past two seasons, and the 32 year-old gunner has entered the decline phase of his career.  He can still stretch the floor with his reputation and remains a knockdown shooter from the charity stripe--his 92.7 percent led the NBA last year--but he's such a horrible defender that he cancels out whatever he can still bring to the table.  I'd much rather have Williams, but given the dearth of talent available at the two-guard (Courtney Lee?) the former Sixth Man of the Year should be an adequate replacement.  He can score in spurts off the bench, but he's streaky and is going to take his fair share of ill-advised shots

"Mr. Big Shot" Billups is back with the Clippers after signing a one-year, $4.3 million deal.  He hopes to return in December, and if he stays healthy he'll be quite a bargain.  He'll be 36 next year and age has slowed him down, but he played reasonably well before a torn left achilles ended his season in February.  He's one of the few Clippers who can consistently hit their free throws and three-pointers, and even if that's all he can provide he'll still be an asset.  He helps spread the floor for Blake Griffin and Paul to run the pick and roll, and adds roster flexibility in that he can start at shooting guard but slide over to the point when Chris Paul needs a breather.  He's not a difference maker anymore, but he's still a viable offensive weapon.

Michael Beasley signs with Suns, three years $18 million
Annnnnnd we're out of time.

KG Back

He's Back

Three weeks after LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh eliminated his Boston Celtics from the Eastern Conference Finals with a 101-88 Game 7 victory in Miami, unrestricted free agent Kevin Garnett has re-committed to the organization that helped him win his first and only NBA championship in 2008.  The 36 year-old, who's already piled up more than 50,000 minutes (playoffs included) of mileage across 17 seasons, was reportedly considering retirement.  He set yesterday, the day before free agent negotiating begins, as his ultimatum for informing the C's whether or not he was going to return to the team or retire; apparently he had no interest in winding down his career with somebody else, even though he would have been one of the most attractive free agent big men since the others--Roy Hibbert, Tim Duncan and Ryan Anderson--aren't expected to switch teams.  Either way he had made up his mind to retire as a Celtic.  His only decision, then, was whether or not he wanted to keep playing.  "And once he decided that he did, it was going to be Boston," a source told the Boston Herald. "He wasn't going to leave Doc Rivers and those guys and play anywhere else."

Now that's what I call loyalty (Lebron could learn a thing or two about that, right Cleveland?).  Barring serious injury he will remain a Celtic for the remainder of his thirties.  The Big Ticket, always a model teammate, took one for the team by inking a cap-friendly contract; three more years for $34 million, which equates to roughly $11 million per year--nearly a 50 percent pay cut from the $21,247,044 he earned last season. But for a man who's earned nearly $300 million in his career from player salaries alone, I'm willing to bet that money wasn't much of a factor in his decision because he could afford to forfeit half his paycheck.  That leaves Boston with around $12 million to work with for Danny Ainge to try to bring back unrestricted free agents Ray Allen, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, and Mickael Pietrus.  Allen is reportedly drawing interest from the Heat, who are trying to add quality role players around their Big Three. We've all seen how hard he has to work for shots in Boston's slow-paced halfcourt offense, so nobody would blame him if he decides to camp out in the corner for the next few years, racking up three-pointers after Wade and Lebron drive and dish.  Nobody knows what to expect out of Green, played poorly after coming over from OKC in the now-infamous Kendrick Perkins trade before missing the entire 2011-2012 season recovering from heart surgery.  Bass represented a significant upgrade over Glen Davis and added some much needed youth and athleticism to the roster, but he still needs to work on his passing and help defense.  Jared Sullinger may make him expendable. Lastly Pietrus, with his great defense and decent outside shot, is a great bench player to have.  Guys like that are a dime a dozen, though, and he would be the easiest to replace.

But Garnett is irreplaceable, and his return opens the door for some of them to reunite in pursuit of the franchise's 18th championship banner.  Rajon Rondo is the team's best player and sparkplug.  Paul Pierce is the "Truth" and the Captain, their gritty crunch time scorer.  But if you ask me, Garnett is the true heart and soul of the team.  He's the one who transformed the culture and identity back in 2007, when he almost single-handedly turned the Celtics into a premier defensive team.  His unwavering intensity, dedication and fierce competitive spirit are matched in this city only by Dustin Pedroia and the recently departed Kevin Youkilis.  The crowds at the TD Garden feed off that energy.  I'm glad to see a championship hasn't changed his attitude one bit; he still cares just as much, plays just as hard, and talks just as much trash as he did five years ago.  A player with those intangibles, specifically that kind of drive, can only make the teammates around him better.  I think he'll be a great tutor for Fab Melo, who's already a good interior defender but is pretty raw.  He will have plenty of opportunities to learn from one of the game's best, the same way Perkins did for three and a half seasons.  Young players look up to him and listen to him.  Even if he gets hurt, he's the kind of veteran who can still contribute valuable lessons in practice and from the sidelines.  He's a phenomenal leader and motivator who makes one hell of a cheerleader.

And it doesn't hurt that he's still a very valuable player. Obviously he can't jump as high, run as fast or cut as quickly as he used to--not many athletes in their mid-thirties can--but any talk of a precipitous drop-off in his performance is premature.  Like his contemporary Tim Duncan, Garnett has aged rather gracefully.  Instead of slowly declining, his statistics have held steady over the past several years, with his numbers hovering around 15 points, eight rebounds, two-and-a-half assists and a 20 PER.  The only noticable drop-off last year was his field goal percentage, which at a still stellar .503 was the lowest it had been since his final season in Minnesota, but given that the lockout caused FG% to plunge across the league I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.  Considering he missed just six games last year and averaged more than 31 minutes per contest, he looks fully recovered from his offseason surgery three years ago and is still pretty durable for a player of his size and age (give Rivers credit for managing his minutes and keeping him rested).  He's still a selfless passer, one of the league's best big men in that regard along with Duncan, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol and Al Horford.  He's still an elite defender who led the league last year in defensive rating--points allowed per 100 possessions--with a score of 94, the same mark he posted when he was named the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year.  As long as he's healthy, he still has something left in the tank.  Many expected that the compressed schedule, with its increased travel and added back-to-backs, would take a toll on older players such as Garnett, Steve Nash, and Kobe Bryant.  Instead, the 14 time All-Star got stronger as the season wore on, stepping in at center for an injured Jermaine O'Neal:

Through February 1st (21 games)  13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, .478 FG%, 10.3 GmSc
Feb 1st to April 18th (38 games)   17.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, .518 FG%, 14.5 GmSc

In the postseason he played even better, averaging 19.2 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting just a hair under 50 percent from the floor.  While Pierce and Allen struggled mightily in those 20 matchups with the Hawks, Sixers and Heat, Garnett was a model of consistency, scoring in double digits every game but one.  He dropped at least 20 points in half of those contests and accumulated 13 double-doubles.   Not too shabby for somebody born during the Gerald Ford administration.

And if he keeps playing like that, his new contract is going to look like quite a bargain.

Celtics Post-Mortem

We may have seen the Big Three in Celtics green for the last time

They were supposed to be too old, too tired, too slow.  They should have been worn out after needing six games to dispose of the Hawks, and then seven to dispatch the Sixers.  There was no way they could possibly beat LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, two superstars in the prime of their careers that joined forces with the aspirations of winning eight championships. Despite all that, these veteran Boston Celtics, so often compared to Bill Russell's final team in 1969, found themselves needing just one more win to advance to the Finals.  Although they built a double digit lead and won the first 40 minutes of Game 7 they, as they did against the Lakers in the Finals two years before, simply ran out of gas.  After playing their hearts out for three plus quarters, with their third Finals in five seasons within reach, they got cold at the worst possible time. 

It was like somebody flipped a switch and turned off the lights....

Boston's shots stopped falling as Miami's vaunted defense clamped down.  A red-hot Chris Bosh, fully recovered from his abdominal strain, started sinking corner threes.  King James, who's been something of a Celtic assassin these past two postseasons, did his Kobe Bryant impression by drilling a backbreaking three from what seemed like another area code as the shot clock expired.  The crowd exploded into a wild frenzy. The Heat, furiously gathering momentum like a tropical storm in the Gulf just before it develops into a full-fledged hurricane, were clicking on all cyclinders. Boston fans could feel the game, and the season, slipping away.  It felt like the Celtics were standing still, and that the Heat were sprinting past them to the finish line.  We all hoped that this valiant team, one that had persevered through so much adversity and defied the odds, had one more last-ditch comeback in them.  But it was evident that they had nothing left to give, not after 66 regular season games crammed into four months followed by 20 exhausting playoff games.  They'd expended all their energy, used up all their bullets, were running on fumes with four flat tires.  And so the infinitely younger, more talented and more athletic Miami Heat surged past them and secured a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder, ending Boston's season for the second year in a row in the process.  Still, you have to be proud of the way they scratched and clawed to get to that point, on the doorstep of the finals.  This team was as resilient as any, and nobody, not even the Heat, can take that away from them.  They gave it their all, and in the end it just wasn't enough.

The Celtics lost, but they still have
plenty to be happy about

This crushing 101-88 defeat ended a magical run, a rollercoaster ride that ultimately served as a fitting conclusion to a half decade of success not enjoyed by the franchise since the days of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.  But unlike that original Big Three which won three championships during the 1980s, the 21st Century edition was not homegrown.  Instead they were born out of the hopelessness and despair from the 2007 NBA Draft, when the 24-58 Celtics fell to fifth in the lottery, missing out on Kevin Durant and Greg Oden.  GM Danny Ainge responded that summer with some historic wheeling and dealing that brought Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, a pair of established, accomplished and equally frustrated thirty-something superstars, to join the incumbent Paul Pierce. They came together to win a ring, something that had eluded all three as they built Hall-of-Fame worthy resumes.  They knew full well that they would have to sacrifice touches and personal stats in order to coexist,  and thus embraced the African philosophy Ubuntu, which means "I am what I am because of what we all are."  To his credit, Ainge surrounded them with a deep, versatile bench that featured James Posey, Eddie House, P.J. Brown, Glen Davis, and Sam Cassell. The rewards were both grand and immediate; after winning 66 regular season games the Boston Three Party defeated the favored Los Angeles Lakers on the parquet floor the following June for the team's 17th championship banner, cementing their reputations as Celtic legends. 

Four calendar years later, when the Heat pulled away and an emotional Doc Rivers finally removed his exhausted starters from the game, it punctuated the end of an era.  They saved basketball in Boston, a city that had been much more concerned with the Red Sox and Patriots throughout the new milennium, but now the team faces an uncertain future.  Garnett and Allen's contracts are up, and even if they return this team is clearly too old--Pierce will be 35, KG 36 and Jesus Shuttlesworth 37--to have a serious shot at another title, even with a healthy Jeff Green and Avery Bradley.  I feel like they caught lightning in a bottle this year, and that they won't be able to replicate this success next year.  Don't get me wrong; I'm not writing off KG and Allen just yet.  I think they would like to return, and I'd love to see them both come back in more limited roles--the man who broke Reggie Miller's three point mark would be a potent weapon off the bench.  Realistically, they will have a plethora of suitors this offseason, particularly younger teams looking to add experienced, but productive NBA veterans.  This summer Ainge has a lot on his plate.  He will have to rebuild, regroup, and reload as he looks to build around his star point guard Rajon Rondo,

Of course such talk is premature.  Nobody knows the future, and both could be back a few months from now, ready to make another run at banner number 18.  Even if they don't, and this is indeed the end, we can take away the following five signs of encouragement.

Doc is a great coach

When Doc speaks, his players listen

We knew this already, but he put any doubts to bed this season.  2011-2012 had to be his most challenging campaing with the lockout, injuries, a thin bench and Father Time all working against his team.  In the face of early season struggles and swirling trade rumors, Rivers remained calm and rallied his players, helping them to achieve more than anyone could have possibly expected.  He has a special relationship, bond, connection--whatever you want to call it--with his players, and knows them like a father knows his children.  He loved this team, and they loved him back.  I'm convinced that had he retired last summer, this team gives up and doesn't make it out of the first round.  His influence on their success can't be emphasized enough, and as a former All-Star point guard he's the perfect coach for Rondo.  The Celtics are fortunate to have him at the helm for the next four seasons, even if his services are costing them seven million bucks per year.


Kevin Garnett's resurgence
The Big Ticket proved that, even at 36 and with 17 NBA seasons (50,000+ minutes including playoffs) under his belt, he still has something left in the tank. KG thrived when Rivers moved him to the five after Jermaine O'Neal went down with knee and wrist injuries, finishing the regular season strong and playing like a beast in the playoffs.  He was vintage KG, averaging a cool 19.2 points and 10.3 boards while shooting just under 50 percent from the floor (all right in line with his career averages) and hauling in more rebounds than anybody else throughout the first three rounds, easily his most productive postseason since Boston's 2008 title run.  Granted, he will never be the same player he was before the knee strain he suffered during his second season with the Celtics, but like Tim Duncan he is aging gracefully and can still be a monster from time to time. Many have speculated that he will retire, and given the amount of money he's made on top of his lengthy list of achievements (championship, MVP, 14 All-Star nods, Olympic Gold Medal, etc.) that seems entirely likely.  He's looked painfully old at times during the last couple years, and he'll need plenty of rest during the regular season to keep his legs fresh for the playoffs.

Rajon Rondo's improvement

Rondo will be back, and could be better than ever

Rondo's a headcase that makes a lot of people pull their hair out after watching his nonchalant passes, missed layups and spotty shooting.  When the playoffs roll around, he stops messing around and takes  his game to another level (look no further than Game 2, or his triple double in Game 7).  Already one of the fastest, most dynamic catalysts in the league, he looks like an MVP candidate when the pressure ramps up.  He proved when Pierce fouled out during Game 2 that he can be a go-to scorer when needed.  Facilitating is still his bread and butter, but if Allen and Garnett do leave, Rondo will be asked to shoulder more of the scoring burden.  I believe he can step up in this regard. Admittedly a major component is whether or not he can sharpen his free throw shooting, as he's never topped 65 percent from the charity stripe and has been below 60 the past two seasons.  If he could just get to 70 percent, he'd be much more confident attacking the basket and challenging defenders knowing that he can make them pay if they foul him. While his jump shot is still a work in progress, he's come a long way since his rookie season and should only get better as he continues to improve.  I don't think he'll be able to lead the league in assists while scoring in the upper teens, as Steve Nash did during his MVP years, but he could certainly average 15 or 16 with double digit assist totals.  For what it's worth he averaged 17.3 during these playoffs, and in his past four postseasons he's averaged 16.2.  There's no denying he's the most talented Boston Celtic.  With all due respect to Pierce, this is Rajon's team now.  In Rondo we trust. 

Avery Bradley's emergence
Ainge, stuck with poor draft positioning because of the team's success since creating the Big Three, has not been able to draft/develop young talent capable of succeeding his trio of stars.  Gabe Pruitt, J.R. Giddens, Luke Harangody, Bill Walker and Patrick O'Bryant didn't exactly set the world on fire, you know?  That's why the front office was always looking to acquire reinforcements during the midseason and offseason, thus bringing in past their prime Rasheed Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Stephon Marbury, etc. all of whom came and left through the revolving door.  Bradley, whom Ainge drafted from the University of Texas at Austin with the 19th overall pick in a deep 2010 class (John Wall, Evan Turner, Greg Monroe, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George), has been his lone success story, a formidable wing defender in the same mold as Tony Allen but packaged with a superior offensive game. The 21 year-old made great strides this season, especially in April when he stole the starting shooting guard spot from Ray Allen and averaged more than 15 points a game. Unfortunately, just as AB was gaining confidence he missed the entire Heat series with a dislocated shoulder that needed season ending surgery.  I sincerely believe that the Celtics would have won had he been healthy (reminiscent of Perkins two years ago), primarily during the pivotal Game 2 when Dwyane Wade caught fire late in the game and helped stun the C's in overtime.  Bradley would have slowed him down and prevented that hot streak.


Brandon Bass fitting in

As I predicted back in December, he was a great fit in Boston and represented a substantial upgrade over Glen Davis.  Some were worried that he'd struggle like Jeff Green did after OKC swapped him with Kendrick Perkins last year, but Bass played well right out of the gate and earned Rivers' trust. At 6'8" he's an undersized power forward any way you slice it, but he held his own against opposing bigs and played pretty solid D on LeBron James in Game 7.  He's pretty athletic and agile around the room, but at times he relies on his jumper a little more than he has to. Continued to build upon his last season with the Magic, when he finally cracked the starting five. Has his ups and downs, but at the end of the day he's just a rock solid player who doesn't really excel at any particular aspect of the game, but can do everything except shoot threes.  He still needs to improve his passing and help defense to become a more polished player.

Thoughts on Game 7

After a 94-90 Game 5 Celtics win down in Miami that was just as thrilling as it was improbable, hopes were high that this aging Boston squad would close out the stunned Heat to advance to the team's third NBA Finals appearance in its last five seasons.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen, as LeBron James put on his mean face and delivered a playoff performance for the ages to quiet a raucous TD Garden crowd.  The C's did their part, making careless turnovers and missing scores of open looks in what became a 98-79 drubbing.  This hotly contested series, now evened at three games apiece, returns to South Beach tonight for a do-or-die Game 7 with the potent Oklahoma City Thunder lying in wait to challenge the victors.

Thanks for the memories

But no matter what happens tonight, it's been a memorable season for the Celtics.  From their rocky start that led many to give up on the team and believe GM Danny Ainge would trade away the Big Three, to their second half surge and exciting playoff battles with the Hawks, Sixers and Heat, this team has taken a long, winding journey on the NBA rollercoaster.  They've been the underdogs all year long; too old, too injured, too tired.  But even as everyone doubted them, they never quit and they never went away.  To get here this team had to overcome its fair share of adversity, fight through pain and fatigue.  It had to survive a lockout shortened season and postseason with a thin bench depleted by injuries to Allen, Rondo, Jermaine O'Neal, Jeff Green, and Chris Wilcox.  That's why I think it's safe to say that they've far exceeded everybody's expectations, and like the 1967 Red Sox they don't have to win the championship to validate their successful season.  They've already done more than enough.  At this point these guys are playing with house money, so beating the Heat (and perhaps causing Pat Riley to dismantle their core) would just be icing on the cake.  All the pressure is on Miami; the Celts are just along for the ride.

And if Ainge does break them up this summer, then we can sit back and appreciate this last stand.  But for now, they're still breathing.  Sure, they're still the underdogs, but by now they're used to it.  I don't know what to expect tonight, so I'm prepared for just about anything.  The Heat could crumble.  Boston might get blown out again.  As Kevin Garnett himself once declared, "Anything is possible."

Here are some of my thoughts on tonight's game:
.
-This game will mark the seventh Game 7 for Boston since Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen joined forces in 2007.  They are 4-2.  By comparison, the Miami Heat have played just six Game 7s in the entire history of their franchise, which was founded in 1988.  Let's hope experience counts for something.

-Miami's Big Three has never played a Game 7 together, and have just one Game 7 win (courtesy of Wade) combined.

-No way LeBron James repeats that performance, the first 45-15-5 performance in a playoff game since Wilt Chamberlain posted those stats back in 1964.  I say this with confidence because LBJ was drilling some tough, contested shots from the perimeter; nine times out of ten if you can keep him out of the paint and turn him into a jump shooter than you will greatly limit his effectiveness, as he's an average shooter at best who really thrives when he's barreling into the lane.  King James has been so consistently incredible in this series (he's dropped at least 25 points every game, something nobody's done against the Celtics since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1974 postseason) that it wouldn't surprise me if he finally has an "off" night where he gets an empty 20 points and doesn't seem to be involved, but it's much more likely that he continues to stuff the stat sheet and finishes with around 30 or 35.  For the record, he's averaged 36 PPG in his two career Game 7s, the highest Game 7 scoring average ever.  Even if he throws up a stinker in Game 7, he still deserves credit for single-handedly keeping Miami in this series.

I can live with that

-When is Dwyane Wade going to show up?  Aside from his strong performance late in the fourth quarter and during overtime in Game 2, D-Wade's had a very quiet series.  He vanishes in the first half, a pattern he followed again during Game 6 before getting his stats after the Heat had already built up a double digit lead in the third quarter.  He's been deferring to James a lot and could be due for a big game if he starts playing more aggressively, but I hope the trend continues.  Because if he and James both get it going, the Celtics are doomed.  But if Miami loses, Wade, not James, deserves to bear the brunt of the media criticism.

-Wondering if Chris Bosh will start tonight.  He came off the bench in Game 6 but the Heat said they weren't going to limit his minutes, which leads me to believe that he's fully recovered from his abdominal strain suffered during Game 1 of the Indiana series.  He's been okay in limited action, but I seriously doubt that he'll have much of an impact on Game 7.

-Paul Pierce is going to have a big game.  Not Game 7 against James and the Cavs from 2008, but he'll get to the line, sink a couple big threes and hit some big shots in the fourth.  He's struggled with his shot all series, mainly because he's playing with one leg, keeps getting into foul trouble and has to cover James on defense.  But the "Truth" is too gritty, too much of a warrior to not play well tonight.  Even if his shots aren't falling, he'll still find a way to contribute.  This could very well be the last big game of the Celtics Captain career, and he won't disappoint.

Pierce has to use every weapon in his arsenal tonight

-Boston still has the coaching edge.  'Spo is much better than people give him credit for, but he's no Doc Rivers.

-Miami's role players have been streaky throughout the series, and I think the team's fate lays in their hands.  If Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers, James Jones, Udonis Haslem, and Shane Battier can take advantage of the looks that James and Wade get them off drive-and-kicks, then Miami is going to win.  Plain and simple.

-Hoping the three-point dam will burst for Boston; they've connected on just 29 percent of their shots from behind the arc.  The onus is on Pierce, Allen, Mickael Pietrus, and Keyon Dooling to help stretch the floor, thus opening up the paint for Pierce/Rondo drives and KG/Brandon Bass, by knocking down some treys. 

-The officiating has been pretty bad in this series, so I'm hoping the refs will do their best to call a fair game and not let Miami benefit from all the calls.

-I feel like Allen still has one or two big shots left in him, maybe a buzzer beater or perhaps a coming-off-the-screen-on-the-move-fading-out-of-bounds-how-in-the-world-did-he-hit-that?-corner three.  His shot has looked much better as of late, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if he has one of those vintage Ray-Ray performances with four or five triples.  Realistically, I'd settle for two or three.

-Rajon Rondo will flirt with a triple-double (he has to)

-If the Celtics lose, I'm sure they will agonize over Avery Bradley's absence the way they did in 2010 when Kendrick Perkins' knee injury in Game 6 against the Lakers probably cost them their 18th championship banner.

-The Celtics will win, 88-86

Celtics Find First Place

With a 21 point victory over Kevin Love's Minnesota Timberwolves last night, the Boston Celtics (29-22) took over first place in the Atlantic division.  They took an eleven point lead and never looked back, cruising to a 100-79 win at the Target Center.  A resurgent Kevin Garnett led the way with 24 points, drilling 12 of 18 shots from the floor and grabbing ten rebounds.  The Captain Paul Pierce nearly matched the Big Ticket with 21 points and nine boards of his own, while Rajon Rondo facilitated with 17 assists. 

Entering the game Boston had been tied with the Philadelphia 76ers (now 28-23), who got creamed by the Wizards (12-39) in the nation's capitol last night despite an off night from John Wall (nine points on just 4-12 shooting).  Winning the division is critical for the Celtics because it represents the difference between the fourth and seventh seed.  If they can hold off Philly down the stretch, getting the four would probably match them up with either the Pacers or Hawks.  But if the C's falter and end up with the seventh seed, then they will face the Miami Heat and near-certain elimination in the first round.

For Boston's playoff run, it could be the difference between life and death, between a quick exit and a potential (albeit unlikely) championship.

2011-2012 has been an up and down season for the Celtics, marked by alternating winning and losing streaks. Their inconsistency is most likely the byproduct of their weak offense, which ranks 26th in the NBA in offensive rating (points produced per 100 possessions) with 100.7 and 27th in points per game with 91.6.  Despite having one of the quickest point guards around with Rajon Rondo manning the point, Boston's age has slowed them down and as a result the team ranks 20th in pace (90.4).  They key to their success, as always, is an elite defense.  Although it rated as one of the worst in the league at the beginning of the season, the stingy D has since returned to form and presently rates third in the league in both points allowed per game (90.2) and defensive rating, or points allowed per 100 possessions (99.2).

So with the Celtics clinging to first place in their division, let's take a quick look back and see how they got there:

-Boston opened the season by losing its first three games in four days (all on the road) to the Knicks, Heat, and Hornets. 
-The Celtics notched their first victory against Detroit on December 30th, and then proceeded to take a back-to-back against the lowly Wizards and crush the Nets by 19
-Then came the five game losing streak that triggered a strong reaction by the fans/media.  Trade rumors swirled, talking heads urged Danny Ainge to blow up the Big 3 and fans readied themselves for a disappointing season, even though Boston's defeats came at the hands of four excellent teams; the Pacers (twice), Mavericks, Bulls, and Thunder.  The young season was barely three weeks old, but the masses had seen enough.

Rajon Rondo can't watch as his aging teammates deteriorate around him

-Just when all hope seemed lost, the stumbling C's bounced back with three weeks of quality basketball during which they went 10-2, beating talented teams such as the Pacers, Knicks, Grizzlies, and Magic (twice).  Their run was even more impressive when you consider that Rondo missed over two weeks during this stretch,
-But after seemingly turning their season around, Boston slumped in the two weeks before the All-Star break, managing just one win against seven losses.  Their lone victory came against Chicago, but they suffered double digit losses to the Raptors, Pistons (twice), Mavs, and Thunder, as well as a crushing one point overtime loss to their archrivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.  They entered the All-Star break sitting at 15-17, and had just lost center Jermaine O'Neal (left wrist surgery) for the remainder of the season.  The lesson, as always, is never count on an O'Neal to be your starting center for any period of time.
-The Green looked refreshed after the week-long break when they started the second half with five consecutive wins, the last two of which were overtime thrillers against the Knicks and Rockets.  Then they got blown out by the Sixers on the road, losing by 32 points, but came back to Boston for their final friday night home game of the season and smoked the Blazers by 18 points.
-Follwing their hot streak, Boston embarked on an eight game road trip and went 4-4, beating the Clippers, Warriors, Hawks, and Bucks but losing to the Lakers, Kings, Nuggets, and Sixers.  All of the games except for the losses to the Kings and Sixers were decided by single digits.
-Since then the Celtics have been hot, taking four in a row over the Wizards, Bobcats, Jazz, and T-Wolves, winning by an average of 13 points per game over that span despite losing Ray Allen to a sore right ankle.  Garnett has stepped up and looked like the KG of old, dropping at least 20 points in four of his past five contests, and the always steady Pierce has reached that mark in six of his last seven.  Boston wrapped up March, their best month of the season, with a 12-5 record and seems to be clicking at the right time

KG was fired up last night as he led Boston over Minnesota

The bad news is that Mickael Pietrus, one of the few reliable options off the bench, is out indefinitely with a concussion and may not return until the postseason, leaving an already thin team even thinner as it faces a brutal schedule over the next four weeks.  Only four of their remaining fifteen games are against squads with sub .500 records, and they'll play the Spurs, Magic, Knicks, Pacers, 76ers, and Hawks (twice).  Eight of those games are on the road, where the Celtics have won only 44 percent of their games.  Most importantly, they have to face LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat three more times starting tomorrow afternoon, and Boston has just one win against them in their last seven matchups including playoffs.  And although the Sixers have struggled mightily lately, going 8-14 since Valentine's Day, their schedule is much more forgiving in terms of opponents, with twice as many games against sub .500 teams.  The silver lining for Celtics fans is that Philadelphia has twice as many road games as home games from now on, and with a .434 winning percentage in away games they are even worse than Boston in that area. Hopefully all the traveling at the end of a tough season can help wear them down and spark losses against weaker teams.

Boston just needs to finish the year strong.  But since they're on a winning streak right now, the next losing streak could very well be lurking just around the corner...