Boston Celtics: Do Title Hopes Hinge on the Play of Nenad Krstic?
Fans in Los Angeles were not the only ones pleased that the Boston Celtics decided to trade away center Kendrick Perkins at the National Basketball Association trading deadline.
Perkins was considered a key member of the Celtics rotation and more importantly, he symbolized the aura of toughness that surrounds the team.
His physical and scrappy play were crucial elements in Boston's championship run of 2008 and Finals run of 2010, and the common perception is that the Celtics will lose the edge he provided in this year's postseason.
Former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green received most of the attention as the primary medium of exchange in the deal, but if the Celtics hope to return to the NBA Finals, it may be Nenad Krstic that gets them there.
Some observers immediately upgraded the chances of Miami and Chicago in the East, because Green's talent and athleticism do not replace what Boston lost in the interior in Perkins.
To make the situation worse, Celtics forward Glen Davis is currently injured and no one knows for sure if Shaquille and Jermaine O'Neal will even be available for the postseason.
But Krstic has performed extremely well under those circumstances and as a starter, his impact has been even greater than Green's.
In the past five games, Krstic has averaged 15 points and 7.4 rebounds and has proved to be a much better offensive option than Perkins.
Krstic may not be as tough as Perkins and he is not as good defensively, but his length does create problems for opponents at the rim and in the big man-starved East, his value increases greatly.
It was easy for Krstic to get lost among the big men in the West, but in the East he joins Andrew Bogut, Dwight Howard and Brook Lopez as the only true low-post scorers.
Right now, Krstic looks like he could be the sleeper steal of the trade and if Green finds his rhythm in the Celtics system, this could actually make Boston a better team than they were before the trade deadline.
With Krstic, Boston holds its advantage in the paint over Miami and it keeps pace with Chicago, who probably has the East's top frontcourt.
Boston has already clinched its season series with Miami, and next month the Celtics will get a chance to do the same with Chicago.
That game against Chicago has grown in importance since the Celtics lead in the East has dwindled to half a game, after losses to the Clippers and Philadelphia.
In order for the Celtics to maintain their hold on the top seed, Green must quickly find his comfort zone as the first man off the bench and if they hope to return to the Finals, Krstic must remain a steady force in the paint.
