7 Reasons the Boston Celtics Are Washed Up and Boring

NBA fans like teams that score and win, and the Boston Celtics have struggled to do both of those things this season.

Boston's Big Three had a nice run from 2007-2011, but the Celtics' reign as one of the beasts of the East is now over.

After allowing the Cleveland Cavaliers to finish on a 12-0 run and win by one point in Boston, the team has hit a new low this season. 

Boston has failed to impress on many different levels through the first quarter of the year.

Here are the top seven reasons that the Celtics are washed up and boring.

7. Not Enough Depth

The Boston Celtics had four All-Stars last season, but outside of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, there is a concerning lack of talent on the roster.

Jermaine O'Neal has been the fifth starter this season and is averaging a lackluster 5.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23 minutes per game. 

Brandon Bass has been first off the bench and has been solid with 11.8 points per game. 

After Bass, every other player on the roster is mediocre on their very best day.

Championship contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat have been able to bring players like James Harden and Shane Battier off the bench, whereas the Celtics are relying on Bass and Mickael Pietrus to lead the second unit.

Boston ranks 22nd in the NBA in points from bench players. While injuries have hurt the Celtics, the inability to bring quality players off the bench has compounded the team's problems.

6. No Viable Trade Options

In the offseason, the Celtics played the role of the geeky kid asking the pretty girl to prom.

That pretty girl was Chris Paul, and "she" harshly rejected the geeky kid by refusing to sign a contract extension if traded to Boston.

Now, the Celtics are left to sit awkwardly in the corner while all the other cool teams are talking about trades for Dwight Howard and Deron Williams.

While Rajon Rondo is a good trading piece, giving him up would entirely strip the roster of young talent. This is why Paul rejected the Celtics, and other superstars will likely do the same.

As far as the rest of the Big Four, Kevin Garnett is essentially untradeable because his bloated salary is $21.2 million this season.

Due to Paul Pierce's injury problems, teams will be unwilling to give up their young building blocks for the All-Star forward.

Finally, Ray Allen is the greatest pure shooter the league has ever seen, but he is 36 years old. His age combined with his $10 million price tag make him equally as valuable as many other spot-up shooters across the league. Teams will not part ways with their up-and-comers to get Allen when they could get a similar player for much less.

The Celtics are in need of a roster overhaul and will likely have to wait until the offseason to begin the long and painful process.

5. Lack of Athleticism

Rajon Rondo is fast, quick and explosive. Unfortunately for the Celtics, he is the only player on the roster who fits that description. 

Kevin Garnett was once considered a physical freak and one of the most athletic big men in the game, but nowadays, he can barely get off the ground and relies on technique and veteran savvy to be effective on the court.

Paul Pierce is one of the craftiest scorers in the game, but "athletic" has never been a word used to describe him.

Besides those three players, there is no one on the roster that even the most diehard Celtics fans would identify as athletic.

Boston is a slow, plodding team that struggles to get out in transition and does not have a player capable of playing above the rim on offense. 

The lack of athleticism on Boston's roster has made the Celtics both a boring and a bad team in the 2011-12 season.

4. "Defense First" Style of Play

For all of the Celtics' shortcomings this season, the team has continued to excel in half-court defense.

The team has built its identity around tough, physical defense and has continued to make opposing players work hard for their points.

Boston ranks third in the league in points allowed and is led by Rajon Rondo, who is arguably the best defensive player at his position.

Kevin Garnett is an excellent one-on-one post defender, and even Paul Pierce is underrated as a defensive presence.

However, the Celtics' reliance on their defense also contributes to the label of "boring team."

A slow, methodical, defense-oriented game plan can be effective, but Boston's brand of boring basketball is not translating into wins, which is contributing to the "washed up" label.

3. No Offense

The Celtics' offense this season has been putrid. 

The team is averaging 89.8 points per game, which is 25th across the league. 

Boston's best player, Rajon Rondo, is limited offensively because he does not have a reliable jump shot.

Both of the team's best perimeter scorers, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, have missed time due to injuries. This is likely the reason for the offensive woes, but in a lockout-shortened season, a bad stretch can bury a team.

With Pierce and Allen's aging legs causing concern, the team must face the reality of finding ways to score without them.

Another injury to one of the two players could send the Celtics on another downward spiral due to lack of offensive production, and the team could miss the playoffs with a poorly-timed losing streak.

2. Not a Championship Contender

Even if Boston is able to limp into the playoffs, Celtics fans must face the reality that this year's team will not win a championship.

Some Boston fans will be quick to bring up the 2009-10 season, when a struggling Celtic team fell to the fourth seed in the East but got healthy at the right time and made it to the NBA Finals.

However, rival fans could respond with jeers about Sunday night, when a healthy Celtics team received an inspired performance from Ray Allen after returning from injury, yet somehow managed to allow the lowly Cavaliers to outscore them 12-0 down the stretch and beat them at home in Boston.

This is not 2009 anymore, and even the Celtics management has recognized that. After chasing Chris Paul this offseason, general manager Danny Ainge has reportedly considered trading one or more members of the Big Three. 

Fans who called Boston washed up can be comforted by knowing the Celtics front office is in full agreement.

1. They Are Old

"Washed up" and "boring" are terms usually reserved for athletes in the latter stages of their careers. If one word could be used to accurately describe the Celtics as a team, "old" would be it.

On a list of NBA teams' average age weighted for minutes played, only the Mavericks are older than Boston.

It is pretty evident that the team's age is a major determining factor in many of the problems outlined in this article. The Celtics' lack of athleticism, struggles to turn good defense into easy points and overall struggles on the offensive end of the floor can all be attributed to the age of their key players.

All too often, an old team also means an injury-prone team. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and even Rajon Rondo have already missed time this season. With less time to make up for losses suffered because of missing injured starters, Boston could be in a bad spot come playoff time.

In 2009-10, the team slipped to fourth in its conference and faced a pre-LeBron James Miami Heat team. If Boston continues its current form and bad luck with injuries this season, it may be in the sixth or seventh spot and have to match up with a Heat team that has LeBron.

"Over the hill," "past their prime" and "one foot in the grave" are all euphemisms that accurately describe the current Celtics roster.

"Washed up" and "boring" work too.