NBA Playoffs 2011: How Much Longer Is the Boston Celtics' Title Window Open?

The Big Three era for the Boston Celtics is quietly reaching its inevitable end.

Kevin Garnett has looked healthy this season, but age will claim his career sooner rather than later. The same can be said of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Despite their high level of play this season, their careers are dwindling down.

Exactly how much more time do these Celtics have to win another NBA championship?

While there's no answer to that question until the next few seasons unfold, I will dare to say that this is the last opportunity for this Boston Celtics group to win a title.

Let's look at some statistics: Ray Allen, who will be turning 36 this July, plays just over 36 minutes per game, making him the 25th-most-used player in the league. The only player over the age of 30 in the NBA who plays more minutes than Allen is Pau Gasol.

Allen's minutes should be alarming. He unquestionably has one of the best work ethics in the league, but human bodies are not made to last 15 NBA seasons.

Kevin Garnett has shown the opposite trend this season, with his minutes dropping to 30 when his career average hovers around 37. He looks like his old self more than he has in the past two seasons, but his brilliant career is nearly done.

Paul Pierce's stats are fine, but without Allen and KG around him his effectiveness will decrease.

Looking beyond the numbers, the Celtics lost an integral piece to their championship puzzle when Danny Ainge said goodbye to Kendrick Perkins. With his departure, Boston lost its starting center, its defensive intimidator and a brother to its members.

Sure, the Celtics have the O'Neal brothers (yes, I'm kidding), but those two are synonymous with injuries and unavailability. In trading Perkins, the Celtics got some scoring for the future (Jeff Green), but also got rid of a starter who helped them make two NBA Finals appearances in a three-year span.

Considering the ages of the core group, the move was flat-out dumb. There's no denying it. Just ask Bill Simmons.

Am I saying that Jeff Green is bad for the Celtics? Absolutely not. He will provide a scoring option to go alongside Rajon Rondo in future years.

Rondo, by the way, has been absolutely outstanding this season, and can be credited for extending the careers of three future Hall of Famers.

Getting back to Green, Boston simply did not need a scorer for the future just yet. Not with a group of aging superstars looking to win one or two more rings. Not with a starting five that was probably the best in the entire league.

Not with a team that had a record of 41-14 before making the trade.

The upcoming draft offers some talent, and waiting until the offseason to reshape a championship roster wouldn't have hurt either. Instead, Celtics management freaked too early and may have sacrificed two years of championship potential.

Jeff Green and Rajon Rondo can form a solid core for the future, but there's no guarantee or previous evidence that they can win an NBA championship together.

Next year is probably the last for the Big Three. It will be difficult to turn the new-look roster into a championship contender in just one season.

Putting together the Big Three and winning a championship in that first year was an impressive feat for the Celtics. Sadly, the 2011 season is this team's last chance to bring the title back to Beantown.