The Celtics are falling Apart

Paul Pierce had become used to playing alone in Boston. It took him three seasons to actually make the playoffs and once he got there, he had the Celtics on the brink of the NBA Finals. From 2002 until 2005, the Boston Celtics did not miss the playoffs. In that small frame of time, some thought that Pierce had the potential to become something great.

In 2006, his Celtics disappointed and they ended up missing the playoffs. The following season, they hit a new low, posting the worst record in the league. The losing was taking a toll on Paul Pierce. He was very close to demanding a trade. At the time, Paul Pierce felt as if he were all alone. Little did he realize that Kevin Garnett had a similar story in Minnesota. Also, Ray Allen's Seattle SuperSonics were underperforming with two stars on their team.

The summer of 2007 would end up becoming a game-changer. The front office of the Boston Celtics sought to end the Celtic curse. Sports fans in Boston think that the Celtics deserve the success that the Spurs enjoyed for a decade through Tim Duncan. The Spurs were a talented team that had one horrible season, due to injury, but they were contenders. With Duncan on the team, along with the rest of their roster, they returned to the top of the standings. Meanwhile, the Celtics would have minimal success with Paul Pierce. Pierce demanded more talent around him for the 2007-2008 season.

Danny Ainge held conversations with his former teammate with the Celtics, Kevin McHale about possibly trading for Kevin Garnett. At the time, Garnett was tied to rumors about being traded to the Lakers, Magic, and Heat. While McHale was willing to trade Garnett to the Celtics, Kevin blocked the move because he wanted to see what other moves would be made. Soon, Ray Allen informed him that he had been traded to the team, once that happened, Garnett also jumped on board. In one season, the Boston Celtics went from zeroes to NBA champions.

But, the Celtics gave up their soul, so to speak, to win in the "right now." All of their "success" has come back to bite them, hard. The following season, they got off to a quick start, but an injury to Kevin Garnett ended any hopes of repeating. While the Celtics came in strong this season, age has begun to catch up to Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Injuries have hit all of the "Big Three." Now, there are rumors of the franchise being willing to trade Ray Allen. His destination of choice is either Orlando, or Miami, his destination of choice in 2007. It was not the fact that the Celtics rose fast, but how they rose fast that is costing them right now.

As fast as it all came together is how fast it is falling apart. Right now, the Celtics are on the verge of losing their grip on the third playoff spot and if they slip to fourth, they will face some stiff competition in either the rising Charlotte Bobcats, the hungry Toronto Raptors, the emerging Chicago Bulls, or the resilient Miami Heat, which feels that they should have beaten Boston all three times that they played. If something is not done, and fast, the Boston Celtics will find themselves returning to the bottom of the standings by next year.