Boston Celtics: How Are They Adjusting to Life Without Kendrick Perkins?
How will the Boston Celtics fare without center Kendrick Perkins? So far the answer to that is just fine.
They have won five out of six games since the departure of Perkins, and that one loss was the next game after the trade, so emotions might have been a factor in that game at Denver against the Nuggets.
Let's not forget the Celtics have played most of the season without Perkins and have earned the second best record in the NBA, second only to the San Antonio Spurs.
Not having Perkins is definitely a big loss, but the Celtics had already adapted to life without him before he was traded away to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The general consensus among Celtic fans is that Perkins' absence cost the C's Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2010. That theory might be true, but it has nothing to do with this season. This season coach Doc Rivers has had time to make the necessary adjustments and adapt their game. This a luxury that Rivers did not have between Game 6 and 7 of last year's Finals.
The addition of Jeff Green gives Rivers versatility. He can once again go to a smaller lineup, like he did in the playoffs in 2008. The Celtics can use Green the same way they used James Posey by moving Kevin Garnett to center and inserting Green at power forward. The lineup is a smaller lineup, but it helps point guard Rajon Rondo run the transition game more effectively.
When the Celtics go big, they have newly acquired center Nenad Krstic via the Perkins trade, and Glen "Big Baby" Davis fills in just fine at the center position. Davis is a big wide body and is very effective on offense and defense. Before Perkins returned from his injury, Davis would finish games at the position, probably because of foul shooting issues with Shaquille O'Neal and to avoid the "Hack-a-Shaq" scenario.
The Celtics definitely need both O'Neals back from injuries, but at this time who knows when that will happen?
Fans loved the mean and nasty spirit that Perkins brought to the team, but if they look at the situation more closely, it's not the end of the world. The truth is the Celtics had to get rid of Perkins so they could get value for him right now; otherwise they took the chance of losing him to free agency in the offseason and getting nothing in return.
Let's be honest, Celtic fans: If you were told at the beginning of the season that the Celtics had to trade one of their five starters (and that's essentially what happened), who would you prefer they trade? I think we all know the answer to that question. It was a business decision that had to be made, and Doc and the rest of the staff will do everything they can to make the new pieces of the team fit.
We've all heard the critics say the Celtics' time is now, that they are too old and it makes no sense to worry about the future of the team. Well, the Celtics have heard this before; heck, they heard it last year. The reality is this: Perkins will be missed, but the team has to move on.
We have heard that Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were not happy about the trade. Pierce and Garnett are true professionals, and yes, it was an emotional split for those guys, but they will get back to work and concentrate on helping the new guys adapt and try to bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to Boston.
