What to do with this Boston Celtics team. Blow it up? Tweak it?
As John mentioned earlier, the Celtics must get younger. But they must also get better.
I'm not thrilled with the idea of bringing back Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnettf for another run. That's not good enough to beat Miami and probably Chicago. While we can point to Rondo's injuries as a factor, the Big 3 were healthy just about all season. What are the chances of that happening next year?
When they were inconsistent during the regular season, we pointed to the "flip the switch" mentality we'd surely see in the playoffs. But the trio rarely put together stellar efforts on the same night in the playoffs.
What happened to this team's mental toughness? I thought their championship pedigree was going to help them win close games? I didn't see it. I think Ubuntu is a thing of the past.
Danny Ainge will not have much money to lure potential free-agents. Maybe the mid-level if Jermaine O'Neal retires. Maybe the bi-annual (if that's even part of the new CBA). He'll be forced to pick from the same pool of injury risks and aging stars. Danny would have to hit on every signing in order to build a bench that could support the Big 3. The odds of that happening are slim.
So what's the block-buster, ground shaking move up Danny's sleeve? Trading Rajon Rondo. He's the guy with the most value. Could he be shipped (with Jeff Green) to New Orleans for Chris Paul? Maybe. I'm, sure there would be other deals out there.
I'm not sour on Rondo. He's a tough bastard with a diverse skill set. But his limitations (i.e no jump shot) are killing the offense. Imagine how the floor would open up for Paul, Ray and KG if opposing defenses had to respect our point guard's shooting.
I'm not opposed to building around Rondo. But that means next year is a throw away. We'll be waiting for KG's $21 million to come off the books and see who the next franchise player will be.
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