5 Reasons Why the Boston Celtics Will Not Make the Playoffs This Season

Every great team in sports has an end to their dominance.

They reach a point where they just aren't what they used to be. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to the regression of a specific team, but usually it isn't simply one thing but rather a combination of reasons.

In the NBA, greatness is as difficult to maintain as it is to acquire.

Players get older, coaches get stale and sometimes it's simply the fact that the other teams have gotten better. It's hard to say this, but the Boston Celtics not only aren't a championship contender this year, they aren't even a playoff team in the Eastern Conference.

There are several reasons why I believe the Celtics won't be playing in the postseason this year; some aren't as obvious as you think.

Age

Everyone has been saying this for years, but the Boston Celtics somehow found ways to elude "Father Time" and still make deep playoff runs, winning an NBA Championship in 2008 and returning to the Finals in 2010.

It won't happen this year.

Although Rajon Rondo is in the prime of his career and clearly the best player on the team, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are in their 17th, 16th and 14th seasons, respectively.

It is true that experience usually triumphs over youth, but the lack of talented young legs on the Celtic sideline is apparent. Seven players in the Boston rotation have been in the league for nine years or more and aside from Rondo, the Celtics' starting lineup boasts four players drafted prior to 1999.

Age is something no individual or team can fight, and Rondo can't seem to mask the Celtics' numerous flaws and their surprisingly putrid offense despite his brilliant play.

From 2007 to 2010, they averaged close to 100 points per game. Last year, the Celtics averaged 96 points per game. This year, through 11 games, the Celtics are averaging 89 points per game, which isn't good considering that they are allowing nearly 93 points per game.

Paul Pierce's Health

Injury is one thing that becomes worse with age and Paul Pierce is learning that first-hand this season.

He suffered a foot injury and missed all of the lockout-abbreviated training camp and preseason. Pierce also missed the first three games of the regular season. Although they won four straight with Pierce after losing their first three games, the Celtics went on to lose their next four.

They have yet to beat a team with a .500 record, and Pierce is a combined 13-of-46 (28.2 percent) from the field in Boston's last four games.

Although Pierce came on strong after returning from injury, he seems to be out of rhythm and his foot does not appear to be 100 percent. If it becomes a lingering problem, the Celtics will be in trouble late in the season.

Lack of a Supporting Cast

A staple of the resurgent Boston Celtics teams is not only defense and "The Big Four" but also their great and sometimes dominant supporting casts.

I always believed that the No. 1 reason the Celtics won the championship in 2008 and have remained an elite team for so long is their bench play.

They have had several solid players over the years, including Eddie House, Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Sam Cassell, James Posey, P.J. Brown, Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Rasheed Wallace among many others.

After trading Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City in controversial fashion and dealing away rookies Semih Erden and Luke Harangody to Cleveland, Boston acquired Delonte West and Jeff Green, moves which I thought would position them for another run next year after losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat in five games.

Unfortunately, Jeff Green would be lost for the entire 2012 season; the Celtics also would be unable to keep West and had to build a mediocre bench as a result. Brandon Bass is a slight improvement, but I feel as if Glen Davis' toughness, versatility and defensive prowess will be missed.

Other than that, I can't really see anyone on this team who can consistently help off the bench.

I believe that Boston's lack of a productive bench will hurt them in the lockout-shortened season since the starters will be asked to produce more than they have in previous years. That will be harder to do given the age of Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal's inconsistency at the center spot and Pierce's injury.

Improved Competition

The Celtics' age and injuries aren't even the main reasons why I believe they won't make the postseason.

It may seem crazy, but the Eastern Conference has gotten better. There are teams that are younger, better and deeper than the Celtics.

Chicago, Miami, Orlando and Atlanta are still at the top, but Philadelphia has improved drastically and Indiana is perhaps one of the deepest teams in the league.

Indiana dominated Boston in the first two meetings of the season, and Boston looked lost for a majority of the time at home against Dallas and Chicago even though they fought back in those games.

Cleveland has surprised people with how well they have played early on; although New York has been inconsistent, they still stand at 6-6. Milwaukee has played well despite missing a majority of their players due to injury and missing Andrew Bogut for a period of time.

I really don't see Boston dominating the competition in the East as they have in previous years. Winning on the road against the Western Conference will be harder with less time to rest between games.

Boston will be among the bottom in the East, and I believe if Milwaukee gets healthy and Cleveland continues to improve, Boston will not make the playoffs.

Their Once-Vaunted Defense Is No Longer Feared

Remember how intimidated teams were of the Boston Celtics' defense?

Kevin Garnett arrived in 2008 and with him came a whole new culture of defensive basketball in Boston. They were simply amazing on the defensive end, almost overshadowing how proficient they were on offense (last year, they finished first in the league in field-goal percentage and fourth in assists).

Since Kevin Garnett joined the Celtics, they have never finished lower than the top five in the league in defense. In fact, in the Garnett era, they finished first in defense twice and finished in the top three four times.

This year is different.

The Celtics are 1-3 when allowing an opponent to score over 92 points, with their only win coming against Washington at home. In their four wins against sub-par competition, they are only allowing 83.2 points per game.

In their losses, they have surrendered 97.1 points per game. This is the first year they have ever been ranked outside of the top five in defense (seventh) and is also their first full season without Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins.

Boston's defense has lacked the luster this year that its had during their previous seasons and their great playoff runs.

With teams improving in the Eastern Conference, the last thing an aging Celtics squad can afford to do is surrender points and get into a shootout.

It's simply easier for teams to score against Boston since Perkins was traded—his absence has left a gaping void within their interior since Garnett and O'Neal aren't the players they once were, Greg Stiemsma isn't a defensive stopper and Wilcox has never been much of a force inside.

Conclusion

I probably have some readers who are going to disagree with my analysis but everything is always up for debate. Please comment and let me know what you think at the bottom. Feedback and criticism is welcome.