The Celtics are a sore topic among Boston fans. After being one of the most dominant teams in the NBA from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, the team has fallen off the map over the last decade and a half. Since the team's loss in the 1987 finals, the Celtics have not made an appearance in the championship.
This year, the team managed to disappoint yet again. The emergence of young stars like Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, and Delonte West produced an energetic and exciting team at times. However, they simply did not have the talent to put together all of the necessary aspects to become a competitive team. Their current .413 winning percentage was not good enough to earn them a spot in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, one that boasts Indiana and Philadelphia in the number seven and eight seeds with .486 and .467 winning percentages respectively. The Celtics are a bad team in a bad conference.
Paul Pierce was the strongest veteran player on the team, scoring 26.8 points per game, good for sixth-highest scorer in the league. The other big names on the team, Raef LaFrentz and Wally Szczer-biak, only scored a combined 15.8 points per game, an average far below what a player like Pierce needs out of his scoring partners. Jefferson, Perkins, and West all had solid seasons for young players, but they will need to improve their production next year if the team is to be considered a real contender in the East.
Pierce is clearly the backbone of the team. Over his eight year career, the five-time all-star has averaged 23.4 points per game. He has put together a solid resume while waiting around for the Celtics to build a true contender. The question is, how much longer will he wait around? At 28, he only has so many years left in basketball, and without a serious shot at contention, he might eventually jump ship in search of a situation where he can win a ring. The Celtics need to move soon and build a good team around Pierce while he is still able to produce and is interested in winning in Boston.
The young trio of Jefferson, Perkins, and West could turn into the core that the Celtics need around Pierce. They have all been developing into fine players and, with their relatively cheap contracts, it would be possible to keep them in town for at least a few more years. The team needs these young guys to grow into supporting roles for Pierce because they do not figure to get much help through free agency. With LaFrentz and Szczerbiak earning over $18 million combined last year, the team has little room to maneuver. Without the possibility of adding a big name free agent, the team needs to develop its talent from within.
The Celtics are running in stall mode. Many talented players have come to Boston since 1986 and left town without a ring. Pierce is among the most gifted of these players, and it would be a travesty to allow him to retire without earning the title that has eluded him thus far. The Celtics need to somehow get a handle on the situation soon and build a proper team before they lose another great player and the leader of their team. With any luck, their young guns will show up to training camp next season and provide the lift that The Truth needs to get to the promised land.