Boston Celtics Are Movin' On Up: Danny Ainge Does It Again

No Shaq, no Delonte, no JO—not for a few games, but for the majority of the season. 

Yet, the Celtics aren't just atop the East, they are increasing their lead. 

The Celtics, up three games, are now being chased more by the Bulls than the Heat. 

Necessary aside: What was Erik Spoelstra thinking telling the press his players were crying? Giving his team national “not only do we act immature but we react immaturely," as well.

As if the post-Magic press conference wasn't enough? Mystifying. 

Back to more important things. 

The Celtics' controversial trade that had people like me feeling optimistic, purely because I had to be to maintain a healthy state of mind, seems to be working.

In fact, it is looking genius at this point. 

Whether it is an Eastern mindset or the veterans imposing their will, Nenad Krstic is now having more of an impact on his new team than he ever did in OKC. A much more skilled and seasoned Semih Erden, Krstic is averaging 11.8 points in five games with the Celtics, 3.4 more points than he averaged this season with the Thunder. 

With the trade came versatility. 

Although Perkins is a much more physical specimen, Krstic has an inside-out game with offensive reliability that Perkins will never have. With Boston's ability to find the open man better than anyone in the league, Krstic is proving his reliability with every play. 

Given the fact that Perkins was in a contract year and there was no way that the Celtics were going to be able to pay him what he felt he deserved come next season, trading Perkins for a respectable big man (with more talent than his previous team let him reveal) seems like a half-decent trade-off. 

Then you have Jeff Green. 

In a conference that has some depth at the small forward position, Green may now be the best of the lot. 

Range, quickness, rebounding ability and youth. Green is the perfect backup for Pierce while providing filler minutes for the rest of the rotation.

Green's offensive impact may be less on his new team but his role is equally, if not more, important. 

Somehow, trading Nate Robinson sweetened the deal enough for the Thunder to give up Green, reuniting Green with the team that drafted him. Oh, and Robinson only contributed eight minutes to his new team, requiring arthroscopic knee surgery after hearing “a little pop” in his knee in mid-February. 

Meanwhile, Perkins' MCL sprain has sidelined him for a few weeks, making for a total of 7.55 minutes of playing time for OKC's new acquisitions.

Almost seems a little too perfect, doesn't it? 

Regardless, the Celtics' latest moves (yes, moves) have Danny Ainge looking like a genius. 

On the same day as the Perkins trade, the Celtics got rid of poor Marquis Daniels (likely to not play again this season with potential spinal cord surgery, traded to the Kings for cash considerations), traded Semih Erden (likely to not have dented the playoff rotation; dealing with shoulder/groin problems) and Luke Harangody to the Cavs for a 2013 second-round pick, leading to Boston having only nine players to dress for that night's game against the Nuggets.

The wise fan would know there was a reason. 

The moves gave the Celtics space to acquire free agent Troy Murphy (an arguable upgrade from Erden on the bench), Sasha Pavlovich (in Doc Rivers' words “a competitive defender” that has both an outside shot an the speed to attack the rim) and Carlos Arroyo (for Delonte West security purposes—more disciplined than Robinson). 

Tell me you wouldn't take these three players over Erden, Harangody and Robinson. The only downside is losing the youth of the former two. 

With the premise that Shaq will enter the starting lineup when healthy (hopefully returning this Wednesday), let's take a look at the before and after bench replacements here:

• Old backups: Robinson, Shaq, Harangody, Erden (dismissing Daniels since he wouldn't have been there anyway).
• New backups: Krstic, Green, Murphy, Pavlovic, Arroyo.
• Depth and improvement. Experience coupled with team-first style. 

As the Celtics continue to win (without pieces of the playoff puzzle, including Glen Davis), it seems that the worries about depth have subsided. As though the Celtics are now more able to tolerate a few minor injury speed bumps if forced to come postseason. 

Did I mention that the real "Big Three" look healthier than they have in years? (OK, Ray Allen is hiding the fact that he has found the fountain). I hardly remember Pierce dunking the ball this many times in a season. These aren't just run of the mill dunks, either.

TRUTHHHHHH. 

The man that assembled a Celtics squad that led to a new banner and another visit to the NBA Finals has retained and resigned the core while adding new, potentially crucial, pieces.

In the end (and depending on health), this Celtics team could wind up ranking much higher on the team history scale than the team that won it just a few years ago. 

Danny, I apologize for the slightest bit of doubt.