Has the Cs championship window already closed?

[Tai]

It looks to me as though KG's knee will never be the same again.  Pierce has knee issues too.  Sheed is 35 years old.  Daniels is on a one year deal, and Ray (35 years old) is in the last year of his deal as well.

There's Rondo, Perkins and a bunch of gimpy old men.  That's the reality.

You sound like those dumb Laker fans that flood the Celtics' ESPN.com board when you say "gimpy old men".

[Brickowski]

Well, it's fairly obvious that Garnett reinjured the knee on which he had surgery.  How many games has he missed so far?

As for Pierce, the knee was infected and had to be drained.  What caused the infection?  Was there an earlier procedure that no one told us about that did not heal properly?  If so, why did he have the earlier procedure?

Without those two, the Celtics are just another team.

[Tai]

But Pierce is playing now, what's your point about him?

[housecall]

Simple:Heck No

[dark_lord]

Simple:Heck No

i like it!  TP

[dlpin]

Well, it's fairly obvious that Garnett reinjured the knee on which he had surgery.  How many games has he missed so far?

As for Pierce, the knee was infected and had to be drained.  What caused the infection?  Was there an earlier procedure that no one told us about that did not heal properly?  If so, why did he have the earlier procedure?

Without those two, the Celtics are just another team.

And yet with all those issues, we still have the third best record in the league.

And here's the key thing: Doc has already said that if these were playoff games KG would be playing. In other words, his situation is like that of Kobe, with the exception that Kobe refuses to sit down (kind of like KG last year) and is 13th in minutes played.

Oh, and by the way, the average age of Laker's starters is older than ours.


So if we are out of the running because of age/health, so are the lakers. Kobe is closing in on KG in minutes played, and is playing this season with a bad finger and a bad back that will not heal with him playing almost 39 minutes a game. Gasol might be younger, but he has only played more than 70 games once in the last four seasons, and has the same recurring injury going on right now. So the lakers are at least in the same boat as us this season and the next.


The magic are younger, and, with the exception of VC, healthier. But VC has been an extremely poor fit there.

Cavs are doing ok, but their center and pf positions have the same issues as us.

So, again, if we are not contenders, who is?

[D Dub]

The 'KG's Celts' championship window closes this year.  However, 'Rondo's Celts' championship window is already starting to open.  

Seriously, during the next 5 years we're going to have the best pg in the East surrounded by veteran sharp-shooter role players such as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.  Those two will re-sign for modest figures no doubt, and after Ray this year and Paul next, we'll have cap room to add another Max deal player to the core.  

Even if KG spends the rest of his contract in street clothes, our window stays open for the next 5 years due mostly to Rondo's upcoming prime and partly to Ainge's contract structure of Ray, Paul, and KG expiring in successive years.  If both Ray and Paul resign for around 9 million, we'll have at least $15m to throw at someone prior to the 11'-12' season.

Can you imagine Perk, Rondo, and another Max-contract starter having a supporting cast of guys like Paul and Ray playing the Michael Finley/Reggie Miller role?  We could be good for a long time, thanks to our re-signing Rajon Rondo to 5y/$50m this year.  Rajon is that good.

[Tai]

You know, only the Hawks as a contender have given us clear problems. What is this about a window closing?

At the same time, look at them losing to the Thunder at home. Didn't we go into the Thunder's house and beat them down after we beat the Spurs the night before IN San Antonio?

I know I know, it doesn't work like that, but clearly the Hawks aren't invincible. And neither are the Cavs or Magic. Like dlpin said, if we're not championship contenders, then who is?

[Redz]

The 'KG's Celts' championship window closes this year.  However, 'Rondo's Celts' championship window is already starting to open.  

Seriously, during the next 5 years we're going to have the best pg in the East surrounded by veteran sharp-shooter role players such as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.  Those two will re-sign for modest figures no doubt, and after Ray this year and Paul next, we'll have cap room to add another Max deal player to the core.  

Even if KG spends the rest of his contract in street clothes, our window stays open for the next 5 years due mostly to Rondo's upcoming prime and partly to Ainge's contract structure of Ray, Paul, and KG expiring in successive years.  If both Ray and Paul resign for around 9 million, we'll have at least $15m to throw at someone prior to the 11'-12' season.

Can you imagine Perk, Rondo, and another Max-contract starter having a supporting cast of guys like Paul and Ray playing the Michael Finley/Reggie Miller role?  We could be good for a long time, thanks to our re-signing Rajon Rondo to 5y/$50m this year.  Rajon is that good.

TP for the positivity

[RAcker]

Well, it's fairly obvious that Garnett reinjured the knee on which he had surgery.  How many games has he missed so far?

As for Pierce, the knee was infected and had to be drained.  What caused the infection?  Was there an earlier procedure that no one told us about that did not heal properly?  If so, why did he have the earlier procedure?

Without those two, the Celtics are just another team.

Just FYI, I've never had a knee procedure or anything remotely close and yet I had the same issue as Paul.  It's an infection that can come simply by germs getting into the knee via a cut, scratch or other means. 

The difference is, I went to the emergency room immediately (within a couple of hours) when my knee started locking up with pain and Paul stayed at home and waited on the Doc to make a house call before going to the hospital to get x-rays and it got to the point (from what it sounds like) where anti-biotics wouldn't do it without draining the fluid that had started building up.

We're getting a little paranoid.

[KungPoweChicken]

The 'KG's Celts' championship window closes this year.  However, 'Rondo's Celts' championship window is already starting to open.  

Seriously, during the next 5 years we're going to have the best pg in the East surrounded by veteran sharp-shooter role players such as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.  Those two will re-sign for modest figures no doubt, and after Ray this year and Paul next, we'll have cap room to add another Max deal player to the core.  

Even if KG spends the rest of his contract in street clothes, our window stays open for the next 5 years due mostly to Rondo's upcoming prime and partly to Ainge's contract structure of Ray, Paul, and KG expiring in successive years.  If both Ray and Paul resign for around 9 million, we'll have at least $15m to throw at someone prior to the 11'-12' season.

Can you imagine Perk, Rondo, and another Max-contract starter having a supporting cast of guys like Paul and Ray playing the Michael Finley/Reggie Miller role?  We could be good for a long time, thanks to our re-signing Rajon Rondo to 5y/$50m this year.  Rajon is that good.

If the Celtics re-sign Perkins, they won't be under the cap enough to sign that "15 million" player. However, I suppose I like your optimism.

If Perkins has value and, if the Celtics are going to blow the candles out on the cake, I'd like to ship him out next year for a wing.

[BballTim]

Well, it's fairly obvious that Garnett reinjured the knee on which he had surgery.  How many games has he missed so far?

As for Pierce, the knee was infected and had to be drained.  What caused the infection?  Was there an earlier procedure that no one told us about that did not heal properly?  If so, why did he have the earlier procedure?

Without those two, the Celtics are just another team.

Just FYI, I've never had a knee procedure or anything remotely close and yet I had the same issue as Paul.  It's an infection that can come simply by germs getting into the knee via a cut, scratch or other means. 

The difference is, I went to the emergency room immediately (within a couple of hours) when my knee started locking up with pain and Paul stayed at home and waited on the Doc to make a house call before going to the hospital to get x-rays and it got to the point (from what it sounds like) where anti-biotics wouldn't do it without draining the fluid that had started building up.

We're getting a little paranoid.

  If I were a betting man I'd put my money of Paul's doctor visit happening faster that waiting in line at an ER. Then again, Pierce doesn't have to wait in ER lines...

[hwangjini_1]

The 'KG's Celts' championship window closes this year.  However, 'Rondo's Celts' championship window is already starting to open.  

Seriously, during the next 5 years we're going to have the best pg in the East surrounded by veteran sharp-shooter role players such as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.  Those two will re-sign for modest figures no doubt, and after Ray this year and Paul next, we'll have cap room to add another Max deal player to the core.  

Even if KG spends the rest of his contract in street clothes, our window stays open for the next 5 years due mostly to Rondo's upcoming prime and partly to Ainge's contract structure of Ray, Paul, and KG expiring in successive years.  If both Ray and Paul resign for around 9 million, we'll have at least $15m to throw at someone prior to the 11'-12' season.

Can you imagine Perk, Rondo, and another Max-contract starter having a supporting cast of guys like Paul and Ray playing the Michael Finley/Reggie Miller role?  We could be good for a long time, thanks to our re-signing Rajon Rondo to 5y/$50m this year.  Rajon is that good.

If the Celtics re-sign Perkins, they won't be under the cap enough to sign that "15 million" player. However, I suppose I like your optimism.

If Perkins has value and, if the Celtics are going to blow the candles out on the cake, I'd like to ship him out next year for a wing.

interesting point. but for me this raises another question tha1t will take this thread in a different direction.


where will the celtics be in 3 years? will they belotto bound? or will they have  rebuilt the team? or will they be simply "another team"?

specifically, i would like to read a dialogue of ideas of how to rebuild the celtics over the next 5 years.

let us assume ray is gone  after next year, or resigns for very little money, that would be step towards signing/trading for a very good player.

but that is onlly a start.

where to from there? what is the best way to go?

FA?

draft?

trades?

[Fafnir]

Pierce's knee also likely was swollen and had a little fluid built up because he's been playing professional basketball so much. That likely left him more vulnerable to such an infection. Also the particular bacteria can propagate at vastly different rates.

I don't think its fair to fault Pierce for not getting his knee checked early, he says himself that the pain only hit suddenly at night.

[RAcker]

Pierce's knee also likely was swollen and had a little fluid built up because he's been playing professional basketball so much. That likely left him more vulnerable to such an infection. Also the particular bacteria can propagate at vastly different rates.

I don't think its fair to fault Pierce for not getting his knee checked early, he says himself that the pain only hit suddenly at night.

I hope no one thinks I was faulting Paul.  He just called the doc and the doc came to his home via the reports.  It was after examination at his home that they decided to go to the hospital for x-rays and further examination.  I was simply pointing out that every minute he didn't get anti-biotics may have caused the fluid problem.

I was around the corner from the hospital when my issue arose and was treated within an hour of the pain really becoming an issue.  Still, my knee had time to become hot to the touch and was bad when they finally gave me an anti-biotic shot to see if the swelling and heat would subside.

It happens pretty fast and my bet is Paul was not as close to a hospital as I was.  I was never meaning to imply that Paul wasn't taking it seriously if that's the way it came off.  I was merely pointing out that it's pure paranoia to assume that Paul was hiding a medical procedure just because of a knee infection.