Aging Celts

There is no denying that no amount of money can stop time. Thus is true for the aging Celtics, who so far in the pre-season of a strange 2011-2012 NBA season have yet to make moves to better a veteran team. Pierce, Allen, and Garnett, whose ages are 34, 36, and 35 respectively, are sure to see declining numbers in the upcoming season. This raises the question of who will pick up the slack for a Big Three that has each seen their PPG drop since thechampionship 2008 season. There is no doubt that Rajon Rondo will show up this season, and the walking double-double is only steps away from cementing himself as the most premier Point Guard in the league. With that said, it is no secret that Rondo’s contribution on the court doesn’t always directly result in points. He managed to contribute just over ten points last season, but without scorers to dish the ball to, 11.2 APG could decline.

​This raises the question, barring any other major moves by the C’s in the upcoming season, who can pick up the scoring slack? Even if the original Big Three and Rondo maintain their numbers, there is still a need for role players who can contribute off the bench. With the loss of Jeff Green for the whole season due to health issues, there an even greater pressure for the C’s to find a scoring answer. Looking down the Celtics roster could give someone with high blood pressure. Not only is the roster filled with age (almost half of the players on the roster are age 30 or above), but the “key” role players that will be used provide below average scoringproduction in the 6-8 point range. The only potential for a big time spark comes in JaJuanJohnson, who is a Rookie draft pick out of Purdue. Johnson has the measurable (a 6’10 Forward), but the key question is will his college success translate to the NBA. Johnson averaged just under 21 points his senior year at Purdue, and if he pans out could provide a serious outlet to keep Kevin Garnett rested while providing solid scoring.

​There is no denying that there are a lot of questions to this year’s Celtics team. With the New York Knicks making major moves to improve their backcourt, and the Miami Heat one year more developed, it seems like the Celtics could easily take a back seat to other team’s success. The only chance the Celtics have to compete this season in the East is to stay 100% healthy, ortake a page out of the Tebow playbook.

-Wootie