So we are not contenders anymore,right?

[BballTim]

I think we can contend, but to say we are close to being the favorite would be a strech.  I think we have dropped at least a couple of spots....at least.

  With Rondo healthy, even with the injury problems we had a center and the poor play from the bench we were no worse than a top 4 team in the league. People can, of course, talk about how we're too old to contend, just like they have for the previous two summers.

[nickagneta]

I don't know about anyone else but I am expecting a seriously short regular season which would mitigate any age problems this team might have as long as they are healthy. Given that I expect Doc Rivers to start reducing the Big Three's minutes fairly significantly, I think the C's will remain contenders one more year. I expect:

Delonte West to return and get 20-25 MPG spelling Ray and Rondo and see a reduction of Ray's minutes to about 30-32 per game.

Jeff Green to return and get 25-30 minutes per game spelling Pierce and KG(more Pierce than KG) reducing Pierce's minutes to about 30-32 per game.

Carl Landry to come aboard to replace Baby and be KG's main back up with KG getting no more than 29 MPG.

JO being the starting center and the C's going after a couple of bargain basement vets at the minimum such as Jeff Foster, Joel Przbilla, Kurt Thomas, Nazr Mohammed, etc.

Avery Bradley to make strides and be the backup PG by mid to late season.

With Rondo 100% healthy this team will contend in a short season and maybe pull it off. A full season, that's tougher to gauge.

[LooseCannon]

An extended lockout would mean not just a shorter regular season, but a shorter preseason.  We've seen how hard it is for the team to integrate new players mid-season.  A shortened preseason would make it less likely for Avery Bradley to make great strides, for Jeff Green to become more integrated into the team, for any rookies to have a chance to earn Doc's trust.

[Brendan]

An extended lockout would mean not just a shorter regular season, but a shorter preseason.  We've seen how hard it is for the team to integrate new players mid-season.  A shortened preseason would make it less likely for Avery Bradley to make great strides, for Jeff Green to become more integrated into the team, for any rookies to have a chance to earn Doc's trust.

And a really hard schedule - three games in a row, etc.

[pearljammer10]

     I thnk the window has in fact closed but I have heard some fans saying how starting Green could work. I DO understand how that should help Green's game but in no way do I believe this counters the big 3 getting another year older. I don't think the problem is the big 3 tiring at the end of games as it will be each of these guys is just a little bit slower,their vertical is a little lower etc. All the stuff that happens to all the greats.While I think we would be better with a better bench, who here believes we can really win the championship with the same guys being our best players? I love these guys but I don't think it's realistic.   

And I think you are right.

I say this because even with Jeff Green, Nenad and JO returning, we still need:

A re-signed and more committed Glen Davis - at a price that's right for Boston and fair to Glen. If he decides to leave I'll miss him, but in that scenario I'd love to go with - another Center and PF, preferably Samuel Dalembert and Landry. I saw this on ESPNBoston's Peter May article today.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=may_peter&id=6556219

I'm starting to think along the lines that we in fact need more...even with a healthy Rondo returning.

Not sure if this could be done financially, but my dream team for 2011-2012 is:

PG - Rondo/DWest/Bradley
SG - Ray/DWest/Wafer
SF - Paul/Green
PF - KG/Glen???/Landry
C -  JO/Dalembert/Nenad

Maybe bring back Sasha and Murph to round us out?

Both great signings if we could get them but there is no chance. Someone will give Dalembert the MLE and Landry should definitely make more than the MLE. If we signed both of these guys there is no way Baby a) comes back or b) ends up ahead of either of them in the rotation. If we could get one of these guys we would be more than extremely lucky.

[Vermont Green]

First, I am going to define "contender" as a team projected win their division and win no less than 2 rounds in the playoffs.

Based on that, I think to be a contender, we will need to trade Rondo and get back value including (or otherwise acquire) a PG with more scoring.  We could not score at the end of close games.  We are too easy to defend in that situation with Rondo on the court and West is a back-up, not a crunch time contributor.

Two other solutions would be Rondo comes back next year able to shoot or Bradley experiences off the chart development pace.  I don't put the likelihood of either of these very high.

[housecall]

If Danny can sign the right role players to compliment the core 4(healthy)their chances of winning it all is as good as any other top team.

[chambers]

 Important factors for Celtics to be contenders next season:

1) stay injury free.
2) sign Dalamert +Landry (if they are going to keep the 4 core guys for one more run)
3)draft or acquire a scoring threat off the bench. Preferably one that plays defense (ie: not Jamal Crawford).
4) increase Greens minutes with starting core particularly Rondo and Ray.
5) reduce PP and KG's minutes SIGNIFICANTLY.

[BballTim]

First, I am going to define "contender" as a team projected win their division and win no less than 2 rounds in the playoffs.

Based on that, I think to be a contender, we will need to trade Rondo and get back value including (or otherwise acquire) a PG with more scoring.  We could not score at the end of close games.  We are too easy to defend in that situation with Rondo on the court and West is a back-up, not a crunch time contributor.

Two other solutions would be Rondo comes back next year able to shoot or Bradley experiences off the chart development pace.  I don't put the likelihood of either of these very high.

  Better offense from the center spot would accomplish the same thing, or possibly just having Rondo look for his own offense a little more.

[Jon]

I think that if Rondo had been at full speed Games 4 and 5, we could've very well been going back to Boston up 3-2 for a Game 6.  Given that fact, I don't think that we lost this year because of age, I think we lost because of a hurt Rondo. 

And that's a problem that can be solved next year. 

Because of that, I think we can still be a contender, but I think it'll take a few things:

1) The Big Three stay healthy and don't take major steps back. 

2) Rondo fully recovers and actually improves his game.

3) Green and West stay and become better integrated. 

4) We sure up the 5 spot. 

These are big questions and big IFs.  However, if those things happen, I think there's a chance we can still win one more title. 

I wouldn't put money on it.  But it's possible. 

[miraclejohan]

We're the Spurs

Everyone has a different determination of the word "contendor"

Agreed, and I strongly feel that both teams will be the Pistons if GMs don't do something smart (read get young core pieces not named Charlie V or B Gordon) to move forward with.  Remember how the Pistons were "contenders" all those years with their big 3/medium 5 (Wallace, Wallace, Prince, Rip, Billups)?  Yeah, no thanks.   

[Jon]

Let's also keep in mind that we're not only team that can be hit with injuries.  You never know what could happen next year to other teams. 

If we can lose out on potential titles due to injuries, I'd have zero problems with us winning one largely because other teams faced the same fate. 

[LooseCannon]

Agreed, and I strongly feel that both teams will be the Pistons if GMs don't do something smart (read get young core pieces not named Charlie V or B Gordon) to move forward with.  Remember how the Pistons were "contenders" all those years with their big 3/medium 5 (Wallace, Wallace, Prince, Rip, Billups)?  Yeah, no thanks.   

Whenever someone proposes a trade to get someone with a bad contract like Rudy Gay or Andre Iguadala, I think they are proposing doing exactly the sort of go-nowhere move for the sake of a move the Pistons did by signing Ben Gordon and Cancerman.

[housecall]

Let's also keep in mind that we're not only team that can be hit with injuries.  You never know what could happen next year to other teams.  

If we can lose out on potential titles due to injuries, I'd have zero problems with us winning one largely because other teams faced the same fate.  

TP,i agree

[miraclejohan]

Agreed, and I strongly feel that both teams will be the Pistons if GMs don't do something smart (read get young core pieces not named Charlie V or B Gordon) to move forward with.  Remember how the Pistons were "contenders" all those years with their big 3/medium 5 (Wallace, Wallace, Prince, Rip, Billups)?  Yeah, no thanks.   

Whenever someone proposes a trade to get someone with a bad contract like Rudy Gay or Andre Iguadala, I think they are proposing doing exactly the sort of go-nowhere move for the sake of a move the Pistons did by signing Ben Gordon and Cancerman.

Halfway agree.  Gordon and Charlie are at best average role players.  Gay and Iggy could be 1st or 2nd options in the right system and surrounded by the right players.  The Pistons trading for A.I. (read = losing Billups), losing both Wallaces, and then overpaying for gordon and charlie in hopes of competing reeks FAR worse than a proposal to bring Iguodala or Gay (or Al Jefferson  ) to the celtics with some elite vets and rondo to surround them with....

But I do understand where yoiu are posting from