Kevin Garnett Trade: Good News, Bad News for the Celtics

For NBA coaches and players, crunch time comes during the final minutes of big games.

For Boston GM Danny Ainge, crunch time came this offseason.

With the Celtics stumbling from an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2002 to 58 losses (including 17 in a row) last season, Ainge needed to produce signs of progress—lest he wind up an ex-GM.

Ainge could've stood pat and hoped for Al Jefferson and Gerald Green to evolve into a dangerous inside-outside combo—not an impossible scenario, but one that would've probably been realized later rather than sooner.

Instead, with his back to the wall, Ainge mortgaged the future for the present.

While the full effects of the Kevin Garnett trade won't be apparent for two or three years—the time it will take for the Celtics to acquire a supporting cast, and for Jefferson and Green to reach their primes—this much is certain:

The pressure was on Danny Ainge this summer, and he delivered Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

Now the pressure is on Garnett, because for the first time in his career he has star veteran teammates. Three years down the road, Garnett, Allen, and Paul Pierce will all be at least 33—and will probably see their skills erode and their bodies break down.

That gives them a small window in which to challenge for an NBA title.

If Garnett wants to be remembered for performance as much as hype, this is his chance. No more first-round exits, no more missed playoff berths, no more seasons without a championship. He doesn't even necessarily have to win a ring—simply earning an Eastern Conference crown should be enough to cement KG's legacy.

But do the Celtics have what it takes to win the East?

Let's start with the positives.

Firstly, Garnett's escape from Minnesota—and the relief of not having to be the go-to guy in Boston—should make him excited enough to have one of his best seasons in years.

Garnett's passing ability from the high post will allow Pierce and Allen to cut and curl for open jumpers and layups. His natural aversion to taking shots in the clutch—he's unselfish, but he's also soft—should be a good fit in Boston, where his high-profile teammates will handle the crunch-time load.
 

Pierce, for his part, has always been known as a player who takes games off. Now he has two bona fide scorers ready to cover for him on the nights he doesn't show up.

And, finally, the Celtics have the star power to match all but the best of teams point for point.

It's almost a given that the Celtics will be in the playoffs next year. But they still have a number of flaws that may keep them from advancing too far.

For example, Pierce, Allen, and Garnett are all essentially jump shooters. When those jumpers aren't falling in the postseason, who will step up and make the clutch drive to draw a foul?

While Garnett is a decent help defender and can defend finesse-type big men relatively well, he gets banged around in the post by stronger opponents. Because Kendrick Perkins is a stiff, KG will often be forced to guard the other team's best big man—which will hurt the Celtics rather than help them.

Also, Garnett's high rebounding numbers are the product of his superb athleticism, and the fact that he hasn't played with another adequate rebounder who could steal boards from him. He has never, however been a tough rebounder—and would benefit from playing alongside a workmanlike center.

In fact, finding a replacement for Perkins is now Ainge's most important task.

Rajon Rondo, meanwhile, has skills but lacks experience. Will he accept his role as an pass-first distributor who doesn't get many shot attempts?

Another problem: Allen and Pierce aren't the worst defenders in the league—but they certainly won't be able to consistently stop opponents on the perimeter.

And, perhaps most significantly of all, the supporting cast for the Big Three is as barren as any in the league.

With Allen, Pierce, and Garnett on the wrong side of 30, the Celtics have no more than three years to contend in the East. Since the surrounding pieces aren't there yet, that number drops to two—beginning in 2008-09.