The trade shocked me. I love Perkins, as a player and as a guy. He is genuine off the court, and he works his tail off in games and in practice.

But, as we all know, the NBA is a business, and the Celts felt a deal had to happen.

The trade tells me a few things about the team’s outlook.

What We Learned

1. Kendrick Perkins would not have been retained after the season. The Celtics know that Perkins’s defensive prowess in the paint is a major asset, and Perk will likely garner numerous lucrative offers from teams willing to (over)pay for his services.

2. Boston is not worried about the Orlando Magic. Having Perkins gave the C’s a clear advantage over the Magic, since he could guard Dwight Howard. However, Orlando is still trying to find an identity after re-tooling their roster.

The Heat, Bulls, Lakers, Spurs and Knicks are all more relevant to the Celtics than the Magic, and these teams should be.

The Celtics have the personnel to let Howard score his 30 points and snatch his 15 rebounds, but keep guys like Jameer Nelson, Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu in check.

3. The Celtics are not sold on Perkins’s offensive progression. Boston viewed Perkins as expendable simply because he was an offensive liability. Although he was able to hide his deficiencies through the play of the other starters, he was clearly a defensively oriented player.

Having both Rajon Rondo and Perk on the floor on offense was making the Celtics easier to defend.

Teams don’t mind leaving Rondo alone (daring him to take jump shots), and can shade off of Perkins, relying on the time it took Perkins to hesitate, up-fake, or take the ball to the floor.

Essentially, opposition had free defenders to prevent Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen or Paul Pierce from scoring.

4. Delonte West is an upgrade over Nate Robinson, and Boston knows it. Nate Robinson was only expendable because Delonte West is a better point guard (to back up Rondo), a more consistent offensive player, and a stronger defender.

This brings me to my next point, why the trade makes sense for the Celtics.

It Makes Sense

First, Nate Robinson, although fun to watch, a high-energy defender and a light-it-up type scorer, he was inconsistent offensively.

Enter West, who can do what Nate Robinson does defensively, and even more offensively. West is significantly larger than Robinson, and he has a skill set of a natural point guard.

The Celtics have never truly been able to find a back up for Rondo, and West gives the second-unit a desperately needed point guard.

Now, in terms of what the Celtics got: Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

Jeff Green is a good player. He has averaged just under 15 points per game in his young career, along with 5.8 rebounds per game.

The Celtics have been looking for somebody to replace James Posey since the lock-down defender and three-point specialist moved on to New Orleans, and they finally have found their answer.

Green is a tall forward, at 6-8, so he has the size to guard power forwards and small forwards (LeBron James, for instance), but the quickness to keep up with slashing 2-guards. Also, he has been playing at power forward, where he is slightly undersized.

On the Celtics Green will be able to play his more natural SF position, where the size mismatch is in his favor.

Nenad Krstic is young (27), but has seen his numbers take a dip this season. Nonetheless, he has averaged 10 points per game over his career, and is a player who (unlike Perkins) is an offensive threat with jump-shooting capabilities.

He is certainly not as much of a defensive presence, but at 7-0 he can block shots.

Also, people think that without Perkins the Celtics will be lost defensively.

Boston didn’t look lost without him for the first half of the season, and defense is as much about being mentally strong as it is about being physically capable (as in guys can step in, embrace a way of playing, and add to their game).

Let’s look at the starting lineup, post trade (assuming Krstic will have the starting job over Shaquille O’Neal).

Defenses now have four players to focus on, meaning less double teams keying in on the C’s “big three”. This makes the offense more dynamic.

Here’s the much improved second unit:

Jeff Green starts on almost any other team in the NBA, as does Delonte West. Von Wafer, for some reason, has been lost on the Celtics bench.

He has an average jumper but is explosive when driving through the lane, and Doc has consistently praised his defensive awareness. He is similar to Marquis Daniels in terms of abilities, but he has more upside.

Glen Davis will surely be in contention for sixth-man of the year, and he too could start on many teams.

The second unit is, quite frankly, the best in the NBA, and strong enough to compete with many first units.

Overall, the Celtics gained what they desperately needed, a young, healthy swing man who can play defense but also score. They lost out defensively, but Shaquille O’Neal is still in the mix, and if Jermaine O’Neal comes back, the team will have another big body to take up space.

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However, the Celtics obtained the rights to to an undersized big man who was considered overweight and borderline useless. After a year learning the ropes of the game from Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis emerged.

Currently, “Big Baby” is one of the league’s best sixth men. He can put points on the board, take charges and defend multiple positions. Essentially, he’s always the spark of energy for the generally older Celtics team.

As of now, it seems reasonable to consider Glen Davis a candidate for the sixth-man of the year award. Davis is currently averaging 10.8 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, .94 steals per game and 1.4 assists per game.

What makes Davis so dangerous is his versatility. He has the physical size to guard power forwards and some centers, but the quickness and speed to guard small forwards. Davis is quick to the ball and arguably the best player in the NBA at taking charges.

Charges are huge momentum swingers, and basketball is a game of runs and momentum. A charge results in a loss of possession (potentially a 5-point swing) and puts a team in foul trouble.

Considering Davis only averages 29 minutes per game, he is putting up some impressive numbers.

However, they could have made runs at picking up guys like Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, Mike Miller, Joe Johnson, or even Mario Chalmers.

I thought Joe Johnson could have been a huge pickup for Boston, but after signing a maximum contract with the Atlanta Hawks it was very clear that he was more interested in a big-contract and staying with his team than finding a place that had more talent or potential to win, which he could have done.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, the Lakers and Heat both have extremely talented rosters. Boston does have a lot of talent, but not the “sexy” talent like Miami or L.A. has with guys like Kobe Bryant, Wade, or James. Because of their current set of players, Miami and L.A. were able to pick up the second-third tier players like Blake and Miller, taking away players who could be pivotal on a Boston bench.

In grading an offseason, the fundamental question that needs to be asked is, did the team improve? Obviously the Cavaliers had a tough offseason…it would be very difficult to support and borderline unrealistic to say that the Cavaliers improved.

The Knicks, on the other hand, landed a very talented Amar’e Stoudemire who could bring some status to New York basketball.

Did Boston improve?

I would say yes, and although they could have done more, they certainly improved enough to keep themselves in contention for a title. Both Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal add depth where they clearly needed it last year, adding two very big bodies inside.

Depth  might be an issue towards the end December right before Kendrick Perkins returns, as exhaustion and small injuries may start playing a factor in player performances. Further, without Rasheed Wallace (retiring), the Celtics will eagerly await Perk’s return.

Jermaine O’Neal is a strong offensive player and can get rebounds, something the Celtics sorely needed when Perkins was injured/catching a breather. Shaq is a guy who can clog up the middle of, well, anything, including a basketball court.

The two will create a platoon to allow Perkins and Garnett to rest. While obviously not as defensively minded as Kendrick and KG, they will be able to pull down rebounds and score. Throw Glen Davis into the mix, and, when healthy, the Celtics have a very unique and dangerous combination.

I think the Celtics could have used another scorer off the bench. Right now their major threat is Nate Robinson and a lot may ride on guys like Luke Harangody (impressive thus far), and the oft-injured Marquis Daniels.

The major blow Boston will have to deal with is the loss of Tony Allen. Those who did not watch Tony play throughout the season did not realize his vast improvement, both offensively and defensively. Offensively, he became a guy who could drop some points by slashing to the basket while playing lock down defense on anybody, from LeBron to Kobe.

However, the Celtics drafted Avery Bradley. Although very raw offensively, Bradley is supposedly an NBA-ready defensive player, who should be able to cover one, two, and the smaller-sized combo-guard.

Overall, the Celtics would certainly have benefited from holding onto Allen and/or adding another perimeter scoring threat. The team didn’t have the high-profile pickups like maybe the Heat or even Los Angeles, but they certainly made their team better.

The offseason is not over, and for the Celtics to jump into the A range they’ll need to sign a small forward or shooting guard who can score so that the backup role doesn’t fall completely in the hands of untested players.

Grade: B/B+

Tony Allen possesses ridiculous athleticism, defensive intensity, and an upside as high as one of the elite 1-on-1 defenders in the NBA. This past season as a Celtic, Allen finally showed fans what he was capable of, especially in the playoffs.

His athleticism was shown by his beautiful finishes at the rim and a dunk during which he pulled his arm back and dunked around and over Anderson Varejao.

However, it was his defending that earned him a top spot on the bench.

Tony Allen was vital in the Celtics playoff run. He offered rest to Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, and slowed the likes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, and on a lesser scale, Vince Carter.

Offensively, Allen was a player who could slash to the basket and on occasion finish with emphasis. While he is not nearly an offensive threat, he was a serviceable 4th or 5th option.

TA is a unique player in that he gives a team defensive versatility.

Think of him like Darelle Revis on the New York Jets.

The Jets have the capability to stick Revis 1-on-1 with any wide receiver in the NFL, knowing that Revis will succeed. This allows them to send blitzes to rush the quarterback or double cover other offensive threats.

Allen allowed the Celtics to do the same. In the Finals, he covered Kobe Bryant. While Bryant still put up points, Ray Allen and Tony Allen made him take many shots which were very much forced.

This lead to Kobe’s low overall shooting percentage of 40% from field goal range, and 31% from beyond the arc.

Against the Heat, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were both inconsistent when guarding Wade, but when Tony played against Flash, he not only allowed Pierce and Ray to get into an offensive rhythm (instead of overworking themselves defensively), but also made life very difficult for Wade.

Wade ended up scoring a remarkable 56% from the field, but T. Allen received limited playing time.

Defensively, the C’s only needed to concern themselves with Wade, the Heat’s major offensive threat. They knew they could let Wade go for 30 and still win through team offense, which Tony sometimes struggled with.

However, when he did play, there was a noticeable drop in Wade’s energy level.

While not always statistically shown, Tony Allen can go 1-on-1 with the best players in the NBA and allow other players to play a team/help defense.

With the new big three in Miami, Tony could have guarded Wade or LeBron, while the Celtics could double team the other. Kevin Garnett, although aging, can still handle Chris Bosh with the help of Jermaine O’Neal and when healthy, Kendrick Perkins.

Without Tony, the Celtics will presumably double James, which will put Wade in 1-on-1 situations with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Marquis Daniels. All are capable defenders, but with each one the Celtics sacrifice in a significant fashion defensively.

With Tony Allen, they wouldn’t have to.

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have consistently outplayed and often dominated their opponents throughout this relatively unexciting playoff season.

Expect that to change.

The Celtics and Lakers are evenly matched. The Lakers can drop 100 points on any team, but the C’s can hold a group under 90 points on any given night.

It’s firepower versus firepower for these Finals games, and you can expect amazing to happen.

So, what will win either team a Finals?

It comes down to four key match ups.

Lamar Odom vs. Rasheed Wallace: Both players come off the bench for their respective teams, Lamar for LA and Wallace for Boston.

Both are extremely versatile, they can play strong defense, are viable threats to shoot the three point ball, and can post up smaller defenders.

However, both are also extremely streaky and fairly inconsistent. The team that has their sixth man play better in a game will win that game, because the Celts cannot match up with Lamar and the Lakers cannot match up with Rasheed.

Tony Allen vs. Kobe Bryant: Tony Allen was key in the Celtics victory over the Cavs, as he played strong defense on LeBron and was actually a threat offensively, driving to the basket.

Against Orlando, on the other hand, he was ineffective, as despite playing good defense, he was an offensive liability. If TA can get to the rim and play with some control offensively, the Celtics have a major option in stopping Kobe.

Kendrick Perkins vs. Andrew Bynum: Although Perk will be matched up against Pau Gasol for some possessions, the majority of Perk’s time will come down low against Bynum.

Andrew has a bum knee, and Perk is too strong and aggressive for Bynum to compete with without being at full strength.

If Boston can exploit this matchup, the Celtics will dominate the paint.

Rajon Rondo vs. Derek Fisher: Rajon Rondo is fast, quick and explosive, plus he’s playing the best basketball of his career. Fisher is old, slow, and will have trouble keeping up with Rondo, on both sides of the ball.

If Rondo can get to the hoop, draw fouls on the Lakers bigs, and shut down D-Fish as a defender, the Lakers will have trouble winning games.

Obviously, both teams will be relying on their superstars, but these three match ups will be very important in determining the outcome of the series.

I have the Celtics in 6.

LA has shown they can be exploited defensively after facing the Suns, while the C’s showed that if they played a poor game, they’d lose… surprise surprise.

LA won’t score 100 points night-in and night-out against Boston like they did against Phoenix, and their defense is not good enough to go head-to-head against the Celtics, who also have a deeper bench.

Most of all, I like the Rondo – Fisher match up, and I think Doc Rivers is a smart enough coach to exploit the hell out of it.

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Are the Celtics better than the Magic? That is, will we see games resembling the first part of the game, or the second part, when the Magic were dominating.

My answer is neither. There will rarely be occasions where you see the Magic or Celtics dominate each other as much as they did last night. Expect games to resemble the second quarter and the end of the fourth period, where the teams were going back-and-forth, with last minute plays playing a major part in the game’s outcome.

How can I say this confidently?

Well, looking at the game, the Magic had about a week before they had to play, and they have not played a legitimate game in almost a month.

Before playing the Celtics, the Magic had yet to lose a playoff game, and they were clearly rusty from their layoff after sweeping the Hawks.

They pulled it together in the 3rd, but were still rusty throughout parts of the game, missing open threes they generally drained (especially Rashard Lewis), while Dwight Howard could not get his and-1s to drop.

Expect similar defensive battles, however, as Dwight Howard and his Magic are a hellishly good defensive team, and KG’s defense is not a slacker either.

After seeing Game 1, I think the Celtics win in six games.

Paul Pierce has the ability to go one-on-one against Mikael Pietrus, Vince Carter or Matt Barnes and absolutely unload, as does Ray Allen, who was getting open at will beyond the arc.

Last year, you will remember, Ray Allen could not shoot the three against the Magic, so having him playing well will be a boost for the C’s (who also have KG).

Also, Rajon Rondo owns Jameer Nelson, and Hedo Turkoglu, who presented matchup problems for the Celtics, is in Toronto.

Lastly, Rasheed Wallace has proved over his career to be Dwight Howard’s Kryptonite, as his long arms and rebounding abilities test Superman’s.

Both the Magic and Cavaliers built their teams to best suit their needs against each other, meaning they expected to play each other in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for them, the C’s built their team to face the Cavs and the Magic, so Boston has a fundamental advantage.

The Celtics are healthy, and by winning game one in Orlando, have effectively earned home court advantage for the series.

Throughout the second half, they lazily closed out three point shots, were unable to keep up with Hornets’ players, and were unable to score. The team missed over 10 free throws in the second half, and turned the ball over 23 times.

This is not a team that will win a championship, and at this rate this team may not even be playing deep in the playoffs.

Looking at the team, it is obvious that there is very little camaraderie and a small amount of chemistry on the court. And, why shouldn’t there be?

For all of December Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett were out, and Marquis Daniels only recently returned. On top of that, Ray Allen missed his first game with back spasms, so the C’s have not had the time to develop chemistry.

Essentially, what you have is a team with a lot of skill, but very little chemistry, something that will not get you far.

Look at the 2004 Yankees (Red Sox won the WS that year, winning four straight games in the ALCS against New York).

The defense is lacking in the 2nd half, the offense seems energy-less, as players jack up seemingly random jump shots, and the free throw shooting is abysmal.

In terms of defense, the entire third quarter was marked by open Hornets players in the corners drilling threes, with Celtics players barely entering the frame at times. Late close outs, and an inability to stick with their opponents is the reason the Celtics need to worry.

But, looking at what I just said, what seems to be the problem? Why does this team seemingly lose every big lead they have, in the second half, especially the third quarter?

Well, that’s just it. The third quarter. All week I have been trying to figure out why Boston has been lifeless, when it occurred to me that this team is old. The core players, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, are all past their prime.

Kevin Garnett is clearly slowed by his injury, and with the rest at halftime his knee ends up cooling down and as a result he is not explosive in the second half. Same with Pierce, who is unable to quickly change directions due to a foot injury, and banged up knees.

Ray Allen, while playing every game, has had to take a lot of the load with Pierce and Garnett injured, and as a result has logged the highest minutes per game total on the team.

Remember, he 34.

It is the second half where these injuries start to act up, after playing a full half of basketball despite them.

Further supporting this idea is that the trouble generally occurs in the third quarter. Tonight, losing by 17 points in the 3rd. The C’s only lost by 3 in the fourth, 21-18.

Essentially, after warming up their injuries, guys like KG and Pierce could become major factors once again, and play well in the final period.

Against the Magic, on Sunday, they lost 34-11 in the 3rd, but won the 4th quarter. Again, when the injuries were warmed up, they began to play better.

So, you might ask, what about Allen, why is he not the same player in the 4th, despite having the opportunity to warm up again?

Well, being a 34-year-old, he is just nagged by the wear-and-tear which his body is taking (but really shouldn’t be), and thus unable to make plays he normally would be able to.

Perkins and Rondo, the other two of the starting five, can try to pick up as much slack as they can, but they both have free throw shooting troubles, meaning the normally game-changing three-point plays they pick-up are neutralized.

Off the bench, Rasheed Wallace is very inconsistent. At times draining big shots, and others throwing the ball out of bounds. When the team starts to play more games together, on the court (no injuries), then this will improve.

The good signs? Tony Allen is a spark, as is Marquis Daniels.

They both showed their defensive presence and made themselves known offensively as they slashed to the basket. Glen Davis is beginning to play well again, as well, as he grabbed some rebounds tonight, and showed his scoring ability by dropping some fall away jumpers.

Morale of the story? The All-Star break could not have come at a better time. This team needs the rest, so that their older players can re-obtain the explosiveness they had in the second half. The team is clearly talented enough, shown by their previous victories against the Cavs and Magic, albeit early in the season.

Based on the 3rd quarter struggles, it seems that this team just needs rest so that that they have the energy to play with come the 3rd quarter. Let Allen get some rest to heal his body, and allow KG and Pierce to heal their ailments, or at least further recover from them, and I think that you  might see a team playing with energy and passion once again. Furthermore, Marquis Daniels gets a few days of rest, and at a perfect time.

He played some games, and definitely wore down his thumb a little bit, so this rest will help him out, as well.

Hopefully, the excitement of his first All-Star game and the confidence he will gain calms Rondo at the free throw line, so he can go back to shooting, maybe 60-65% from the charity stripe, but to me, that is still a major question.

Should Danny Ainge pull the trigger on a trade? Yes, and I think he will, but it will probably be for a small addition off the bench, to maybe add some length and rebounding or defense.

I don’t think the break will completely fix Boston, but I do think that it will give them the means to recover and thus regain their previous quarter of dominance.

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• Inability to Close Games: The Boston Celtics
  

Unfortunately, the Celtics are just 12th in the league in 3rd quarter score margin, and 21st in the league in their 4th quarter margin. On average, the Celtics gain a half a point on their opponents in the third quarter.

Essentially, the team wins the quarter by 0.5 points, on average.

In the fourth quarter, however, the C’s average point differential is -0.5, or they lose the fourth quarter by an average of 0.5 points.

The Celtics are not putting teams away in the third (a point differential of 0.5 points won’t cut it) and are losing ground in the fourth. This team is unable to play with a lead.

Over the past three games (Magic, Hawks and Lakers), the Celtics have lost the fourth quarter by an average of 6.7 points, or 3+ possessions.

Obviously, Kevin Garnett is not yet 100%, which is a major factor for their lack of dominance, but even in previous seasons with KG hurt, the Celtics have been solid at closing out games.

Again, an unfortunate Boston Sports theme is erupting. An inability to close out games when leading. Talk to the Patriots, 66-1 going into this past season with a lead at half, lost seemingly countless games despite leading at the mid point. They lost in a heart-breaker to Indy, and in a game that went into overtime against the Broncos.

And then there are the Red Sox. Of course, there are no half times in baseball, but there were blown leads and scares.

Jonathan Papelbon, despite putting up 38 saves, had a career high in walks and fewest number of strikeouts since his rookie season in 2006.

He seemed to lack his normal dominance, and in the playoffs surrendered his first post season runs and gave up a stunning game three loss against the Angels.

Call it coincidence, but the Sox, C’s and Pats have all had legitimate trouble closing out games. How do you know when you’ve lost a game that was failed to be put away?

You feel it in your heart. After the final play, your heart drops. For instance think about the feeling after the Pats lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl(sorry about that). That same feeling (on a lesser scale) is when you can tell that your team “blew it”.

The parallel between the Celtics and Patriots is undeniable. Both are seemingly in a better position to lose games when holding leads halfway through games.

Statistically this is not true, demonstrated by the teams’ respective win-loss percentages when leading at the half, but there is certainly question in a fan’s mind during a game about whether either team will be able to finish a game.

This is not normal. Not for the Patriots, and certainly not for these Celtics.

Now, back to the Celtics.

Against the Lakers tonight, despite another halftime lead, were unable to hold on for a win. Ray Allen had 7 points, and went 2-10 from the field. He is having his worst career season in terms of three-point shooting (0-6 tonight, including a potential game winner).

Now, I’m not calling for his head, as he did play solid defense tonight, but he really needs to find a way to step it up. I think he has played too many minutes considering his age and the fact that Pierce and KG have both been injured.

I expect there to be games where he will get rest after the game is out of reach for either team, and this would really benefit his legs.

After going 0-3 in this huge stretch, the Celtics have dug themselves into a hole, and have major questions to answer.

Will they be able to compete with the big teams?

I say yes, considering they beat the best teams when fully healthy earlier this season (other than Atlanta, a team that has caught the Celtics in awkward periods, like in the second night of a back-to-back, but match up well with Boston).

But it is just frustrating to watch the Celtics blow these leads. Whether it be a 16 point lead against the Magic or a five point lead against the Lakers, the C’s should be able to close out games. Obviously, there was a questionable call on Pierce tonight, but I think that there is an underlying problem with this team. Two, in fact, which have been causing Boston to lose games they shouldn’t be.

First, they allow too many offensive rebounds. With Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis missing extended periods of time, this becomes slightly more excusable. Plus, they demonstrated an ability to control the glass tonight against LA (a very good rebounding team), winning the rebound battle 39-36.

However, they have had trouble pulling down boards, and this solid play NEEDS to continue for Boston to have success.

Secondly, they turn the ball over too often. Against the Lakers, especially, that cannot happen. 18 turnovers were committed in tonight’s game. They are 26th in the league in turnovers, with 14.7 per game.

Again, part of this can be because of KG’s absence as a large part of the C’s offense is passing down low, something Garnett excels in. Despite this, the team still needs to find a way to control the ball.

Garnett was playing today, wasn’t he? The Celtics committed an unacceptable 18 turnovers.

I think the problem lies with too much dependence on the skip pass, as good defending teams can easily pick off bounced passes across the length of the floor.

The only way to fix the passing problem is to coach it, and I think Doc Rivers will be able to fix it, and bring the Celtics’ turnover numbers down to the middle of the league.

However, the Celtics should be expected to grab a rebounding player in the trade market, as Rasheed Wallace seems to have little interest crashing the boards. Sheed can shoot, but the C’s really need a rebounding player.

The Celtics will definitely make the playoffs despite their recent struggles, and in a few weeks, with the team healthy again, should win these tighter games.

I expect them to rely on solid 6-10 game win streaks to build camaraderie essential in the playoffs, but again, there are two major problems that need fixing

At this point, however, I think that if the playoffs started now, the Celtics would make it through the first round and be bounced in the second.

In a word: yes.

People forget that the Celtics are missing their defensive leader, Kevin Garnett. Atop his absence is Paul Pierce’s injury. Pierce is playing, but his knee still is not 100%, affecting his ability to drive to the basket. Apparent in his play, Paul Pierce’s 1st half performances have been regularly better than his second half performances, as he seems far less explosive in quarters 3 and 4.

This most likely occurs because his knee pains begin to kick in towards the end of games.

Also, fans are forgetting that for a stretch, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace were all out for a few games in early January, contributing to their recent lack of success.

When Kevin Garnett returns on Friday, however, do not expect all problems to magically “disappear” for Boston. KG needs to strengthen his knee before returning to full strength.

The Celtics are a defensive-minded team, and have occasionally reverted to their mindset of “outscore the opponent” rather than “out defend them”. With Garnett back in the lineup, this should certainly change.

Yesterday, against the Mavericks, this problem was brought to the forefront. Dirk Nowitzki scored 37 points, compared to the average of 27 points he had scored against Boston in the big three era.

The main difference? Kevin Garnett was not defending the superstar.

If Dirk had scored even 32 points, this game would have been vastly different.

The Celtics have been lacking energy and strength down late in the 3rd and into the 4th quarter. Why?

Because they have little depth down low without KG, as Rasheed Wallace just returned from his injury.

The Celts have lost 5 games when leading by double-digits over the past few weeks. Guess what? It’s been a few weeks since KG and Pierce played together in the same game. With Garnett’s return should come intensity and a return to the defensive mindset.

In all, the Celtics have missed the defense of KG, and the health of some of their key players, again including Pierce, Rondo, Sheed and Garnett. Despite their recent losses and troubles closing games (like the Pats), Boston is nowhere near a bad position.

The team is still in second place in the Eastern conference, just 2.5 games behind the Cavalier, and with key players returning, should be returning to their normal, dominant selves.

Hopefully, by the time this team plays the Los Angeles Lakers, Pierce will be back at full health along with Rasheed Wallace, and Kevin Garnett’s defensive presence will be felt.

By this time next week, the only significant player the Celtics will need should be Marquis Daniels. With his return could pose even more danger for opposition.

Still burning about the end of the Pats’ season? Check out how they can contend for the Super Bowl next year here: How the Patriots can Contend for the SB Next Year.

Paul Pierce has stepped up, and Kevin Garnett’s mid-range jump shots seems to be finding the net with much more regularity at this point. Rajon Rondo, previously a threat to the Celtics at the free throw line, is now hitting shots from the charity stripe with more regularity.

Kendrick Perkins, another young player, has stepped up in a big way. He is averaging 7.6 rebounds and 12 points per game, and has become a defensive presence as a shot blocker down low.

Boston looks unstoppable right now, as they hold the best record in the entire NBA, as well as the best road record (11-1). Throw in a 10 game win streak, and this team looks like it should.