Do the Boston Celtics still have a Chance?

Two years ago, the Boston Celtics brought in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to assist a frustrated Paul Pierce. Immediately, the team dropped its losing ways and paced the league with an outstanding 66-16 record. Along the way, they developed a rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the playoffs, they were surprised by the Atlanta Hawks, but they overcame and they did what they had to do to win the NBA championship.

Last season, the Celtics were expected to contend again, the window for a second title was wide. That was right up until the team lost Kevin Garnett. When he went down with injury, the Celtics went from being the team to beat to just another good team. At one point, they were on pace to win 70 games, but they ended up winning 62. Still, that was good enough for the second seed in the East. But, the team was exposed on national television by Derrick Rose and they have yet to regroup.

The absence of Kevin Garnett was obvious when the Celtics were beaten by the Orlando Magic in the second round. Coming into this season, the Boston Celtics were expected to contend again, but that is looking unlikely. At 36-21, they are still a tough team, but they are losing steps. Because of their age, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen simply cannot compete with such guys as LeBron James and Derrick Rose. Now that the once-reliable Kevin Garnett is injury prone, it is a strong possibility that he will be abused by Dwight Howard if they have to play the Magic in the playoffs. Aside from opening night, the Celtics do not stand a chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Because of the fact that they are often injured and aging, the Boston Celtics are no longer a part of that big three in the Eastern Conference. They now find themselves in a dog fight with the Atlanta Hawks. This is a fight that they lost 0-4. If they were to face the Hawks in the playoffs, they would likely lose to them. While the Celtics should be able to dominate a team like Miami or Charlotte, they would be in trouble because they would have to face either Cleveland, Orlando, or Atlanta. As great as they once were, the Boston Celtics are no longer the class of the Eastern Conference. There have been miracles before, like the 2006 Miami Heat, but it is unlikely that the Boston Celtics, with their record overall and against other contenders, that they can even break past the second round.

Danny Aingle, the Boston Celtics general manager, said that the team would be looking to rebuild itself during the offseason.

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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.

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