Boston Celtics: 10 Keys Heading into the NBA Playoffs

Paul Pierce and his Boston Celtics can smell the postseason just around the corner, as this NBA championship-contending basketball team is proving they will be threats in 2012.

Yet, it will take several adjustments in their game plan as well as the health of their core players like Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in order to win an NBA championship.

The team comes fresh off of their second victory in 10 days over the Miami Heat, who currently hold the No. 2 seed in the East. The Celtics are now 18-7 since the All-Star break.

The following are the 10 keys for the Boston Celtics to keep in mind heading into the 2012 NBA playoffs.

Get Mickael Pietrus Back and Healthy

Mickael Pietrus has been a key bench player for the Celtics all season long, as he has been able to come into games and produce offensively for this team.

His ability to spread the floor and hit the three-point shot is something that this Boston Celtics bench has been missing since the All-Star break. Although Avery Bradley has improved his jump shot, it will be integral for this team to get Pietrus back for a lift offensively in the second rotation.

This season, Pietrus is averaging 6.8 points and hitting 1.5 three-point in just over 21 minutes per game.

Continued Strong Play from Brandon Bass

Brandon Bass continues to prove just how valuable a trade the Celtics made this offseason.

Unlike Glen Davis, the Celtics get significant size and length out of a player like Bass. He is able to stretch the floor offensively and provides the team with a strong, physical presence on the interior defensively.

After struggling to find his role in Beantown, Bass' numbers have improved dramatically as of late. In his last 10 games, Bass is posting 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest while shooting 46 percent from the floor.

In his most recent outing against the Miami Heat, Bass posted a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Bass' inside play on both ends will be huge for this team in the playoffs, as the Heat and Chicago Bulls are not necessarily the most size-savvy ball clubs in the league.

Give Avery Bradley Heavy Minutes in the Postseason

If there's one reason why this Boston Celtics team has won games with Ray Allen out of the lineup as of late, it has been the outstanding play Avery Bradley.

Bradley, averaging 12.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game in his last 10 outings, has been able to provide the Celtics with strong play offensively and dominant play defensively. He is a headache defensively against opposing guards, making sure he is in their faces the majority of the time down the court.

If the Celtics want to beat teams like the Bulls and Heat, it will be important for the Celtics to match their depths. Having Bradley play well off the bench is just the answer for Boston against teams with significantly stronger second units.

Let Rajon Rondo Go to Work

If the Celtics expect to win an NBA championship, it will be won through the play of Rajon Rondo.

Rondo has played arguably the best basketball of any point guard in the league in the last month. In each of his last 18 games, Rondo has posted at least 10 assists, a streak that is the most since John Stockton posted 29 games in a row of 10-plus assists nearly 20 years ago.

Talk about impressive.

If Rondo can continue to dictate the pace of basketball games, there is no telling just how dominant the Celtics can be in the postseason. A Heat team without a point guard to match Rondo and a Bulls team with Rose in and out of the lineup, know that Rondo will be a factor in these potential series in the 2012 playoffs.

Get the Ball to Pierce, and Get out of the Way

You heard the man, clear the way!

Paul Pierce has been red hot during the Celtics' winning stretch of basketball since the All-Star break, anchoring the team offensively as he has done time and time again in his 13 years as a Boston Celtic.

March's Eastern Conference Player of the Month is averaging 21.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shooting 47 percent from the field in his last 10 games. In his most recent outing in a win over the Miami Heat, Pierce posted a team-high 27 points and a solid seven rebounds in the win.

If Pierce can continue to be the go-to-guy for this team down the stretch of games in the playoffs, there is no question the Celtics have the ability to do damage in the Eastern Conference.

Improve Rebounding

Starting with the play of Garnett, the Celtics need to improve in the rebounding department, with just nine games remaining before the playoffs.

Greg Stiemsma and Brandon Bass will have to step up their rebounding heading into the postseason, as the team ranks 30th in the league with just over 38 rebounds grabbed per game.

If these three players can pick up the load on the glass, there is no telling what this team is capable of. In a game where the Celtics out-rebounded the Miami Heat by six on Tuesday, the team won by eight points.

Controlling the paint with rebounds against physical teams like the Heat, Bulls and Orlando Magic will be crucial for this team, most especially on the road games this postseason.

Keep Kevin Garnett Playing Physical

Kevin Garnett has transformed into a new player in the second half of the 2011-2012 season, as he has taken his game to the next level on both ends of the floor.

After failing to make much of an impact through the team's first 25 games, Garnett has turned it on as of late.

This season, Garnett is averaging 15.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In March, Garnett upped his averages in a big way, scoring 17.4 points and grabbing 8.5 boards a contest. This greater intensity on both ends of the floor has led to a more frequent post game on offense and athletic defense in the paint.

In his most recent outing against the Miami Heat, Garnett played arguably his best game of the season. Garnett was 11-for-14 in an effort that led to 24 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in the convincing victory.

The anchor of the team's defense and a guy who stretches the floor offensively, Garnett will need to play physical in order for this team to make it over the hump.

Keep the Foot on the Gas

Paul Pierce and his Boston Celtics have been just short of spectacular since the All-Star break.

The team is now 18-7 in the second stretch of the season, as the Celtics boast two convincing wins against the No. 2 seeded Heat in the last 10 days.

Pierce has been a significant factor in this run, awarded with the honor of the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Month in March. Rondo has also helped to lead the troops, boasting at least 10 assists in the team's last 18 contests.

With big wins over LeBron James and the Miami Heat and a dominant record since the break, there is no question the Celtics need to carry this momentum with them into the postseason.

Play the Bench Players

The one thing that could stop the Boston Celtics from contending for NBA title would be the failure of production from the second rotation.

For the better part of this season, players like Brandon Bass, Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma were ineffective and had little impact on the team's play. As a result, the Celtics were a bottom-half playoff team struggling to keep themselves above .500.

Since the bench has stepped up, particularly the play of Bradley and Bass, this Celtics team has had a different sort of swagger about them. The level of play has increased dramatically on both ends of the floor, as Rajon Rondo and the Big Three have been able to stay fresh when they hit the court.

The ability for this bench to be ready come postseason will be vital, as head coach Doc Rivers knows he will have to keep this unit contributing effectively.

Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen Must Stay Healthy

Talk about some clutch performances from each of the players that make up this Celtics core.

In a game that the Celtics knew they would have to win to make a statement, the team went to Miami and had Garnett, Pierce, Rondo and Allen hit tough shots readily throughout the fourth quarter.

The three veterans, along with point guard Rajon Rondo, must be healthy come postseason if this team wants to compete for an NBA championship.

Keeping the bench players playing well and for long stretches in ball games will be the difference maker for this team in the postseason. If Bradley and the bench unit can continue to produce, the Big Three and Rondo will continue to play with fresh legs and give teams like the Heat their all.

If there's one thing that will give this group of veteran talents the best shot at an NBA title, it has to be the health and durability of their core players. If they can get more rest, and stay healthy, there is no question this team is capable of a deep run in the 2012 playoffs.