NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge Would Be Wise to Panic

The Boston Celtics are no longer the "Beasts from the East."

Everybody knows that.

That's why general manager Danny Ainge apparently being content with the Celtics is not going to get them anywhere.

Ainge said on Monday, via the Boston Herald:

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“My feelings haven’t changed yet. You don’t panic when things aren’t going well and when your lineup isn’t 100 percent.”

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The ironic part of Ainge's words is that he put himself in this position in the first place.

One of the Celtics' older players right now is Kevin Garnett. He's one of "The Aging Big Three." You know, the Big Three that includes Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

The Big Three are so old that Pierce is the youngest of the group at 34 years of age. Garnett is 35 years old and Allen is 36 years old.

The Big Three have been declining for the better part of the last year. Pierce is shooting 42 percent this season. Garnett is averaging just 7.8 rebounds and shooting under 50 percent for the first time since he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves. And Allen is shooting his worst since his first season in Boston.

Yet...Ainge doesn't panic.

Some would say this is because he's cool and collected. I would say it's because he's delusional.

The Celtics currently hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They aren't even playing .500 ball, at 15-16. They've been blown out their last two games (including to the Detroit Pistons) and have lost six or their last seven. There are certain times you panic and do something about your situation, and this is one of them.

It's not just that the Big Three are having a worse season than usual. It's that they aren't getting younger and at some point they aren't going to have much trade value.

Ainge needs to break up the Big Three and started looking ahead. He's still stuck in the past, circa 2008.