Are the Celtics really playoff material ?

[coachx]

I am looking at the Celtics today. Their roster is not a finished product. They only have one healthy center on their roster, K. Perkins, and he gave them next to nothing last year.

Their roster currently looks like this:

Rondo / Telfair / Pruitt

R. Allen / A. Ray / T. Allen

Pierce / Green / Gomes

Jefferson / Scalabrini / Big Baby / Lowe

Perkins / Ratliff (played 2 games last year)

Jefferson is ready to dominate. Last year he put up 16.1 ppg and 11 rpg. The Celtics are praying for production out of Perkins and some PG on theri roster. They are apparently high on Rondo, who is an atheltic freak with a horrid jump shot and average floor vision. One thing Rondo does great is defense.

Rondo defense is a necssity b/c neither Allen or Pierce are know as perimeter defenders. Opposing wings should be ableto get in the lane at will causing foul trouble for their shallow front line. Ratliff is ready to retire and Perkins cannot afford to play more then 20 mpg due to foul trouble and a poor motor.

So basically can Allen and Pierce shoot their way to the playoffs ?

Not without Jefferson taking the next step.

Allen is the type of player who should age gracefully like Reggie Miller did. Hopefully, for the Celtics sake, Pierce's added weight and birthday of 30 do not slow him down either.

They have more questions then the Hawks at PG & Center. Even with Allen and Pierce I see them a 1/2 step behind the Hawks.

Anxious to hear thoughts on the Celtics !

[beav]

Quote:

---

I am looking at the Celtics today. Their roster is not a finished product. They only have one healthy center on their roster, K. Perkins, and he gave them next to nothing last year.

Their roster currently looks like this:

Rondo / Telfair / Pruitt

R. Allen / A. Ray / T. Allen

Pierce / Green / Gomes

Jefferson / Scalabrini / Big Baby / Lowe

Perkins / Ratliff (played 2 games last year)

Jefferson is ready to dominate. Last year he put up 16.1 ppg and 11 rpg. The Celtics are praying for production out of Perkins and some PG on theri roster. They are apparently high on Rondo, who is an atheltic freak with a horrid jump shot and average floor vision. One thing Rondo does great is defense.

Rondo defense is a necssity b/c neither Allen or Pierce are know as perimeter defenders. Opposing wings should be ableto get in the lane at will causing foul trouble for their shallow front line. Ratliff is ready to retire and Perkins cannot afford to play more then 20 mpg due to foul trouble and a poor motor.

So basically can Allen and Pierce shoot their way to the playoffs ?

Not without Jefferson taking the next step.

Allen is the type of player who should age gracefully like Reggie Miller did. Hopefully, for the Celtics sake, Pierce's added weight and birthday of 30 do not slow him down either.

They have more questions then the Hawks at PG & Center. Even with Allen and Pierce I see them a 1/2 step behind the Hawks.

Anxious to hear thoughts on the Celtics !

---

I agree that Center is a big area of concern given the foot problems that perkins had last year (those things do seem to have a way or lingering/popping up again)...

However I don't see PG being as big of a concern... they run the offense primarily through Pierce who needs the ball most of the time anyway.... that's why a west and rondo (defensively minded point guards) are a better fit there...

I believe that ratliff's contract is expiring this year so they should be able to trade him for a decent center? They're playing for now obviously after the ray allen trade so my guess is they will add another back-up center type (mikki moore?) before the season starts...

[cyman3]

i think it depends on CHEMISTRY.

The EAST is weak. Let me repeat that. THE EAST IS WEAK!

Several fans here already have 1-8 spots reserved for certain teams. In my opinion, the 7th and 8th spots are wide open for any team in the east.

If Pierce/Allen click, then they're good to go.