Boston Celtics: One Title and Done—Years Of Darkness To Return

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The window on the Boston Three Party is on its last legs, with one last shot next year.  The Celtics squeaked by Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, and the Lakers just barely in each round last year.  Ainge used up much of the cupboard to pay for the trophy and will probably leave the Cetics soon with many cold rebuilding years ahead.

Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers were on the verge of losing their jobs and will be kicked out of Boston in shame so they gave up 11 players and draft picks to obtain KG and Ray Allen on their last legs. 

The recipe worked fore one year, but unfortunately the party was short lived as KG got injured and the Celtics just got bounced by Orlando in the second round tonight. They would have fared much better against Orlando, with Al Jefferson helping Perkins on the front line tonight and for years to come. 

KG won the title for them last year and helped mentor Glenn Davis, an unrestricted free agent who made $10+ million on his upcoming contract in KG's absence, which could make him too expensive for the Celtics.  The Celtics would been better off long-term keeping Al Jefferson to team with Perkins, Glenn Davis, and Rondo for a future foundation.

The five players alone should have gained the Celtics' KG, especially with Al Jefferson involved. But with Ainge throwing McHale's Timberwolves the two first round draft picks, it was too much especially since one will be a top 10 pick.  

Losing all those young players will make rebuilding that much tougher for the new management team, since I am convinced Doc and Ainge will not stay when the Three Party leaves.  The Celtics essentially traded four top 10 picks for the aging KG and Ray Allen, who will be playing 10 years after they are gone.

The Celtics hopefully have at least one more respectable charge in them, otherwise they will have to cherish last year's trophy as they watch Al Jefferson further develop into one of the top young big men in the game and a promising Jeff Green team with Kevin Durant in Oklahoma. 

We are also left watching Randy Foye and Brandon Roy, who could have easily been in green if Ainge did not vastly overrate Sebastion Telfair as the next Tony Archibald/poor man's Allen Iverson.

I hope Big Baby is retained and Rondo and Perkins can be enough of a foundation to build on and attract outside talent in the years to come. 

Unfortunately, I fear that the days of sub-.500 teams with overpaid stiffs like Theo Radcliff, Vin Baker, Raef LeFrentz, Andrew DeClerq, and friends could be lying ahead again.  

Thanks for last year's trophy, to remind us how much fun it is to watch winning Celtics basketball, but it was way too short lived. 

P.S. - James Posey certainly would have done a much better job guarding Rashad Lewis and Heido Terkulo tonight.

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