Basically, KG is collecting his pension right now. He's getting paid on reputation and prayer that he'll be able to call it back when it's needed most.
But really, paying big cash to a guy that can only play 5 min spurts? It means we'll have our backup C playing against the opposing starter in every game. So we need a starting-quality center to back up KG (and don't, and won't) just to be able to compete. I'm sorry, but we're at a disadvantage in the paint in every game because of KG.
Pierce...a big shot taker and maker, but not so much a creator any more. His footwork is still so awesome that he'll get some points, but he's not exactly a guaranteed bucket-or-free throw guy any more that can stop an opponent's run at will. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had these scoring droughts for the past couple of years.
So those are two pretty big declines from the title form, and we have nothing to really compensate except for Rondo and a stable of quicker, more athletic (but not necessarily better) journeymen than we've had in the past.
We're loaded with talent, but the top of the rotation is only 1/3 of what it used to be, that is: we have one sure allstar.
This is a group that I could see coming together in a crazy magical way to run to the title, but more than likely Danny will be working the phones to death between Jan 15th and the trade deadline to arrange the blockbuster that adds to the top of the roster.