The "Luck of the Irish" seems to be running out in Boston. The Celtics are limping along to a 15-17 record, currently sitting in the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Yes, the eighth seed is good enough to make the playoffs, but the C’s are a team that epitomizes the term “veteran” and I feel that there is no better time to start the rebuilding process than now for Boston.
Based on what the Celtics have displayed on the court, and as the team stands now, they are not going to contend for a championship title in 2013. So why wait?
They will probably be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and be left with the same mediocre team they have now, as well as being stuck with mid-first and second-round draft picks. It would make more sense to get value for the aging stars on their roster, if possible, or move some of their promising young players for future assets.
There are a few current players that the C’s front office should set aside as untouchable unless a deal is posed that they absolutely cannot turn down. Such a deal would have to either put them into title-contention this season or set them up for a better future a season or two from now.
The players the C’s need to hold onto at almost any cost are Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley andJared Sullinger. Not the most enviable core to build around, but these three players provide you a good starting point and offer some unique skills both offensively and defensively.
I would imagine, based on his play so far this season, Paul Pierce could get a nice return for the Celtics before the trade deadline in February. Pierce is averaging 19.6 points per game this season and has a career average of 22 points per game. At 35, Pierce is still one of the best small forwards in the league and is also on an expiring contract.
Basically, he could be valuable to teams in one of two ways. First, Pierce is one of the best to have ever donned the Celtics' green and white. He is a true scoring-threat and if a team could put together the right package to attain him, he would undoubtedly move a contender into being a favorite for the title or a poor team into playoff-status.
Secondly, an expiring contract can be an almost priceless advantage to have if you are a team near the luxury tax line looking for an opportunity to shed money. With there being an abundance of star free agents this upcoming summer, many teams would love to have a big expiring-contract like his on their payroll.
The same would go for Kevin Garnett if there was any reason to think he would ever become available, but it is almost blasphemous to even think the Celtics would consider putting him on the trading block, so I will not explore this idea any further. He has been the backbone of this team for years and I see no scenarios where they would dump him in a trade just to get younger or setup the future.
It would be prudent of us to also talk about the role players on the current roster that may be seen as trade targets by other organizations. Fab Melo, Brandon Bass and Jason Terrycould all bring in a decent return if teams are looking for one of their skill sets.
Melo is a young seven-footer who has shown flashes of real talent in the D-League, but has yet to translate it into any games he has appeared in for the C’s. Bass is a proven, but is undersized for a power forward. He is capable of getting you 20 points and 10 rebounds on any given night while delivering above-average defense in the frontcourt. Terry is known as a lethal sharpshooter and I can’t imagine many playoff teams saying no to adding him if the price was relatively reasonable.
At this point, anyone with down-the-road potential would be a welcomed addition alongside Rondo and company.
I do not want to overlook how talented of a player Rondo is. He is one of the most highly-skilled players in the NBA, blending together true passing prowess, virtually unparalleled court vision and a developing offensive approach. He continues to dish assists at an unbelievable rate, setting up his teammates more efficiently than any other point guard in the league. Many NBA general managers outside of Boston would love to have a player like him on their rosters to build around for the next half-decade.
The one missing ingredient this season as compared to year's past is the outside shooting and leadership the team lost when Ray Allen decided to jump ship to join the triumvirate of dramatic stars down in Miami.
The Celtics hoped to lessen the blow of losing him by bringing in Terry, but that has proven to not be the answer. Terry has sufficed in some respects but still a void remains. On the other hand, Allen was able to step in when games that were just not going the C’s way. In those situations, Terry disappears on the court.
The rebuild for this team should start from the top and go all the way to the bottom. By this, I mean the C’s should first put the word out that Pierce is available for the right price. If there are takers, look for a deal featuring a younger replacement for him to slot into the starting lineup in addition to future draft picks.
They then should look to move at least either Melo, Bass or Terry to attain more draft picks or young pieces. If all else fails, it would not hurt their chances of a successful rebuild if they were to digress a bit and move into the lottery for the upcoming draft.
Another option would be foregoing a rebuild and instead opting to reload. There is a rumor spreading around the league that started just days ago that the Memphis Grizzlies may be open to trading star forward Rudy Gay this season.
The Grizzlies have fallen off since their incredible start and may now be coming to the realization that this is not their year. Bringing in Gay at any cost, outside of including Rondo in a trade, would be well worth the price. In Gay, you would get 18 points and about six rebounds per night, as well as length on the perimeter.
He is still only 26-years-old, even though he has been in the NBA for quite a while. This could be a huge addition for the Celtics and would instantly vault them into position to compete this year and in years to come.
If the opportunity presents itself to acquire a solidified "B-level star" at the trade deadline for a reasonable price, you make the move without hesitation. Moving forward with a core of Rondo, Gay and possibly Bradley would be the start of something new and great in Boston.
If Boston cannot pry Gay away from Memphis, other targets might be Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings, a healthy Danny Granger when he returns for the Indiana Pacers or Monta Ellis of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Evans is rumored as being available and is a big, strong shooting guard whose game would go well alongside Rondo’s. Granger plays the game much like Gay does and Ellis is a talented scorer who is in the top 15 in the league in scoring, and is also near the end of his current contract.
Whether they choose to rebuild or reload, the Celtics are at the point where drastic changes must be made. It is high time for a shakeup as this year’s title will go to one of the top two teams in the East or one of the top five teams in the West.
I would elect to try and get someone via trade or free agency who has already proven his worth rather than developing a player coming out of the draft. If no good trades come along, look to the draft for NBA-ready talent that can compliment Rondo’s style of play.
A storied franchise, Boston only needs to make a few adjustments to return to championship form.
