Name: Boston Celtics Big 3
Time of death: 2/20/2012 at 9:00pm
Cause of Death: Murdered by Father Time
I've given up on the Big 3. I've always considered myself an optimist but from everything I've seen this season, I just can't picture this team winning a playoff series, let alone a championship. The defense is still there however offensively the Celtics are abysmal, not even able to score over 100 points against the worst teams in the league. So what happened, can it really just be father time?
Let's investigate.
One of the major problems with the Celtics' offense is that the starters don't all play the same style. Look at some of the most efficient offenses in the league over the last few years. Teams like the Suns, Spurs, Heat, early 2000's Kings, and even Mavs have starting fives that fit well together and have a set style of play that they adhere to. The Celtics' problem is that Rondo wants to run but Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, KG, and Jermaine O'Neal want to slow it down and play in the half court. Rondo is a terrible shooter and therefore almost useless in a half court offense. The problem gets multiplied when you realize that Jermaine O'Neal is useless in any kind of offense. That's two players who really don't need to be guarded in the half court, allowing their men to sag off and play help defense on Pierce, KG, and Ray. I remember when Jermaine O'Neal was a GREAT player, it was right around the time I was playing 8th grade basketball.....10 years ago. He's not even a shadow of his former self though, as evidenced from his inability to make a jump shot or finish around the basket. JO goes out every night trying to do his best Kendrick Perkins impression. Speaking of shadows of their former selves, Ray Allen is only good for shooting at this point in his career and KG has settled into being an 18 foot jump shooter. Paul Pierce is the only player left on the team that can create his own offense in the half court set. A major problem for a team that relies heavily on scoring points in the half court.
Another huge problem for the Celtics has been Doc Rivers' coaching. I like Doc as much as the next Celtics fan, but he needs to realize that it isn't 2008 anymore and Ray Allen can't be a focal point of the offense. In the four years since he arrived in Boston, Ray has lost a lot of his explosive first step. This means that when he curls off screens for jumpers his man is already up on him to contend the shot. What I would like to see Doc do is shake up the whole team by making a lineup change. He can go two ways with the change, either have Rondo come off the bench or have Pierce and Jermaine come off the bench. If he has Rondo come off the bench then Avery would start and they would play a half court game. The other team would have to stay up on Avery to honor his jump shot. When KG comes out of the game after the first five minutes, Avery comes with him and Rondo and Brandon Bass enter. Wilcox would sub in for Jermaine as well and the lineup would run run run. Pietrus would replace either Ray or Pierce a few minutes later and the run and gun offense would continue. The other option, which is my favorite, would be to bring Pierce and JO off the bench. Start Rondo, Allen, Pietrus, Garnett, and Wilcox and start the game running and gunning. In this lineup Rondo is surrounded with shooters and a center that can run with him and finish on the fast break. When Garnett goes out, bring in Pierce, Jermaine, and Brandon Bass. This will give Pierce free reign to create against either the other teams subs or their winded starters.
Let's be honest though, the biggest reason that the Celtics are struggling is Father Time. He is the reason that Jordan isn't dominating anymore, Bill Russell isn't winning, Nolan Ryan isn't throwing no hitters, Babe Ruth isn't hitting home runs, Joe Montana isn't throwing td's, and Wayne Gretzky isn't scoring goals. Father Time is the only person that will definitely retire undefeated. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett aren't leading this team, or any team, to a championship because they've lost most of their athleticism and just can't compete with the younger teams. A team like OKC will run them off the floor.
Speaking of the Thunder, it's interesting to imagine how different things might be if the Celtics hadn't gotten screwed in the lottery in 2007. Just think about this starting lineup right now... Rondo, Pierce, Durant, Jefferson, Perkins. Theoretically this could be the Celtics lineup if they had gotten lucky in the lottery. Would I trade the 2008 championship for a lineup with Rondo/Durant/Jefferson starting the next 10 years? No, but it's not an easy decision and I did have to think long and hard about it.
I think the reason that I've had such a hard time with coming to terms with the end of the Big 3 is that I'm a wrestling fan. You see, for those of you who don't know, wrestlers don't get worse when they get older. The Undertaker is 47 years old and will be main eventing Wrestlemania this year. He's been wrestling since I started watching 20 years ago and is still a top guy in the business, while there isn't one basketball player that has been in the league for 20 years that is still star. So when I hear that Kevin Garnett is making his return to the Celtics after missing a couple games, I picture him coming in and saving the team. Sort of like this video: KG=Hogan Celtics=Eugene Opponents=Crazy Middle Eastern Guys
When Paul Pierce missed the first 3 games of the season and the Celtics started 0-3, I pictured his return going something like this....Pierce is obviously Stone Cold
But unfortunately real sports aren't like wrestling, older players don't miraculously find the fountain of youth and start to dominate again. Even though Hulk Hogan can still come out and save other wrestlers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen can't save the Celtics anymore. Sorry KG, anything may be possible but unless you turn into Benjamin Button it's impossible for the Celtics to win the championship. So what else can I say except..........Thank You, the Big 3 coming to Boston provided me with moments that I will never forget, and the best four years I've had as a sports fan.
Thanks for reading, leave a comment, follow this blog, go back and read all my other entries, and enjoy the last games of the Big 3 era.
-Josh
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