Boston Celtics: Is This Their Last Chance at a Title Run?

As the Boston Celtics enter their fifth season behind Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, there is much talk about whether or not this team can get it done and win another NBA championship.

The Celtics were left empty-handed last postseason, losing in the second round of the NBA playoffs to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. In the Heat series, the team showed their fair share of struggles closing out games and holding leads in general. In the last game of the series, the Heat would finish on a 16-0 run, overcoming a nine-point deficit with under five minutes to go.

This season the Big Three, inevitably, enter another year older. Allen and Garnett are 35, and Pierce will be 34 by the time the season tips off (if, of course, there is a season). This is still quite the talented core, but will have a harder time maintaining the type of production they were putting up last season. If holding leads and closing out games in the fourth quarter were problems before, this season could only be worse.

If Allen, Pierce and Garnett are entering what ESPN's Skip Bayless refers to as, "the winter" of their careers, expect the Celtics to find themselves struggling to win games late. The organization must find youth and some more talent to surround the Big Three if the team expect to make a deep run in the 2012 NBA playoffs.

As they enter the final years of their careers, it is inevitable to address the issue of whether or not this is their last season to win an NBA championship for the Boston Celtics.

This season will in fact be the last shot for these Celtics to win another NBA championship.

This is not to say the Celtics cannot rebuild and contend in years to come, but for the next handful of years this may well be the team's final shot at a ring. If the Celtics can come out with an NBA championship, it would be the second ring in five years since acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett prior to the 2007-2008 season.

To Allen, Pierce and Garnett's credit, the three have improved their production over the last two seasons. Last year in particular, Pierce had a career-best year shooting from the field and free-throw line, Allen had a career-high shooting the ball as well, and Garnett improved his rebounding and scoring numbers.

Although they are aging, they seem to continue to put up the numbers and ultimately help this basketball team continue its winning ways.

It might be their last chance at winning an NBA championship, yet they may very well be legitimate contenders to reckon with.

This team will likely re-sign Jeff Green and feature arguably a top-five point guard in the game in Rajon Rondo. Jermaine O'Neal, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson will also play integral factors in helping the Celtics remain one of the dominant teams in the East. O'Neal and Johnson fill the rebounding gap for the team while Moore could potentially prove to be a solid back-up behind Ray Allen. With Purdue, Moore proved to be a solid scorer and tough rebounder.

Make no mistake, Danny Ainge has planned for the future and has kept solid, young talent on this Celtics roster, yet this may very well still be the Celtics last shot at a title for years to come. With aging talent in Pierce, Garnett and Allen, the team will still be a force next season. Yet getting sustained production from the Big Three for much longer might be too tall a task.

The Big Three are in shape, playing improved basketball and will look to give it another go next season. Expect big things from the Celtics, however this is more than likely the last shot this Celtics team will have at an NBA championship.