Time to look forward to next year

[LnGrrrR]

Hey all, didn't post the last week because I was in Orlando... DisneyWorld to be exact. Which was alot of fun, except for the end of two particular days.

The loss of KG hurt, but so did the loss of Leon Powe as a big body to put fouls on. Couldn't Doc Rivers have hired someone off the street just so he'd have 6 extra fouls? :lol

Ah well. Rondo and Big Baby took big steps up during these playoffs, and Kendrick Perkins acquitted himself well. Mikki Moore proved himself to be relatively useless, and Scalabrine proved himself to be at least marginally useful.

I'm hoping with rest, Paul Pierce will gain some energy, because he had no life these playoffs. He couldn't get elevation, and had to save his energy for needed spurts. Ray Allen lost it in the last series, and I'm assuming that was an energy issue (either that, or he just went ridiculously cold). Boston maybe has one more chance to compete with these guys, maybe two years, before age catches up. We'll have to hope we find some guys to replace them.

Good luck to everyone who still has a team in the playoffs. I'm rooting for Denver now.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Hey all, didn't post the last week because I was in Orlando... DisneyWorld to be exact. Which was alot of fun, except for the end of two particular days.

The loss of KG hurt, but so did the loss of Leon Powe as a big body to put fouls on. Couldn't Doc Rivers have hired someone off the street just so he'd have 6 extra fouls? :lol

Ah well. Rondo and Big Baby took big steps up during these playoffs, and Kendrick Perkins acquitted himself well. Mikki Moore proved himself to be relatively useless, and Scalabrine proved himself to be at least marginally useful.

I'm hoping with rest, Paul Pierce will gain some energy, because he had no life these playoffs. He couldn't get elevation, and had to save his energy for needed spurts. Ray Allen lost it in the last series, and I'm assuming that was an energy issue (either that, or he just went ridiculously cold). Boston maybe has one more chance to compete with these guys, maybe two years, before age catches up. We'll have to hope we find some guys to replace them.

Good luck to everyone who still has a team in the playoffs. I'm rooting for Denver now.

Good luck to your boys next year LNG! you're right, Rondo and Big Baby grew up before are very eyes in these playoffs.

[turiaf for president]

celtics showed heart. good season considering their injuries.

only thing i disagree is pierce and allen getting better with rest. they are still no doubt elite players but they aren't getting any younger. i see their numbers and ablilties gradually decreasing

[iggypop123]

another year just means next season is it for them. i would trade allen but then again who could you get in return?

[Brazil]

No matter what this year it was better to be a celtic fan than a spurs fan.

Great serie against the Bulls. Healthy the celts have the tools to win next year.

[duncan228]

Writers' roundtable (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/05/20/roundtable/1.html)
SI.com

3. With Kevin Garnett headed for surgery and the potential loss of key free agents such as Glen Davis, Eddie House and Leon Powe, has the Celtics' championship window closed?

Ian Thomsen: I don't think so, but two things need to happen. More than ever, the Celtics need to adopt the Spurs' approach of pacing through the regular season to keep their three veteran stars -- with Paul Pierce the youngest next season at 32 -- healthy going into the playoffs. It doesn't matter if they're the No. 2, 3 or 4 seed, the most important thing will be health and fresh legs.

Second, the Celtics' owners need to take stock. Next year they're committed to $56 million to their three stars, practically guaranteeing they'll be paying a luxury tax no matter what. Why squander that investment by refusing to make the moves needed to win another title? They boldly traded for Ray Allen and Garnett two years ago because they wanted to win championships, and I don't see them losing their nerve now. A lot of teams are going to be looking to give away talent this summer, and I can see the Celtics trying to exploit a couple of those situations to come back strong next season. If they don't re-sign their own free agents, the reason will be that they think they can do better elsewhere on the market -- and not because they're looking to recede from contention.

Jack McCallum: Absolutely, positively not, if -- and, granted, this is a big if -- Garnett's surgery goes OK. They will re-sign Davis and Powe (not sure about House), and the return of a healthy Garnett will recharge the Celtics. Now, are the Cavaliers with LeBron James better than an aging Celtics team? Yes. But should James choose to change addresses next summer, the Celts should have at least one more season near the top with the current nucleus.

Chris Mannix: Please. The most common reaction after a difficult defeat is to question the long-term potential of a team, but in this case the concern is entirely unwarranted. Boston had no business going seven games with the Magic, not with a two-man frontcourt rotation and a third "big" in Brian Scalabrine, who spent the second half of the regular season battling concussions.

The Celtics will be fine. Garnett's injury was maddening, but three months should be more than enough time for him to heal. With Garnett, Boston still has the most talented starting five in the NBA, a unit that should be better thanks to the larger roles Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo had to play late in the season. The bench will need to be revamped: February signee Mikki Moore proved to be useless, Davis may price himself out of Boston and Powe may not be healthy until the second half of next season. But with teams tightening their belts, there may be a lot of veterans on the market who will take a pay cut for a chance to win a ring. If the Celtics can add some quality depth, there is no reason they shouldn't be one of the favorites to win the NBA title next season.

Steve Aschburner: If Garnett's knee doesn't respond to surgery ... if two of the three free agents land elsewhere ... if Pierce or Allen suffers the sort of formidable injury that Garnett sustained ... then, yes, the Celtics probably are done and need to retool. But I see no good reason why Garnett can't recover from the lone significant injury, and surgery, of his career. Guys like Davis, Perkins and Rondo are better than they were in 2007-08. And Boston still has the "San Antonio mode" available to it, where it doesn't have to chase after the conference's No. 1 seed but can manage minutes instead, holding enough back in its Big Three for the postseason. I give them another year at least.

Scott Howard-Cooper: Closing, but not closed. The Celtics lost James Posey and P.J. Brown, two contributors to the title team, remained a factor and would still be playing with a healthy Garnett. So reserves can be replaced, and Boston remains an attractive destination for free agents. Besides, Davis and House could stay. Money won't be flying around this summer like past offseasons. The Celtics may not have to worry about getting outbid, the way the Hornets bagged Posey. Garnett plus Pierce plus Rondo plus Allen equals a quality club.