Celtics Journal: Boston starting to see the downside of the Big Three deal; Paul Pierce listed day-to-day

By Gethin Coolbaugh

Whether we like it or not, we all get tired.

No matter what career, everyone feels the powerful effect of fatigue. And the older you get, the harder it is to bounce back from fatigue.

The same logic applies to the aging Celtics.

Once a boisterous and energizing team, the Celtics have finally returned back to earth.

The 2008 Celtics essentially burned out the majority of their intensity into their historic championship run.

All things considered, it was a cause well worth pushing the pedal to the metal for.

Boston’s 2008 NBA title put them back on the basketball map. It thrust a once-great franchise that had fallen into a black hole of despair for 22 years back to the top of the league where it belonged.

Even though their title run brought Boston a championship that will be celebrated for generations to come, it did have its consequences.

To acquire the necessary chips to win their championship, Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge traded away one of the cornerstones of the future of the franchise in Al Jefferson. Not to mention, Ainge sent away valuable young talent such as Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, as well as two first-round draft picks.

In addition, the Celtics drafted Jeff Green and immediately traded him the the Seattle Sonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) for Ray Allen.

The Celtics sacrificed youth for a championship, and they got the result that they wanted.

Yet they knew this day would come. Anyone who thought otherwise is ignorant.

Now that Boston is on the other side of the championship roller coaster, it is time they started to face the facts.

The Big Three’s best days are behind them. A championship has been won, and unforgettable memories were made, yet that is all in the past now.

It’s time to start re-tooling for the future.

If Ainge continues to ride out every last bit of the 2008 championship momentum, then he and the Celtics will be in a much worse position than they were in the 2006-2007 season.

That fact is inarguable. If you think otherwise, please leave a comment and I will be more than happy to challenge your line of thinking (with all due respect, of course).

True, had the Celtics not abandoned their foundation for the future in 2007, then we would not have our city’s 17th NBA Championship trophy.

Yet we would be ten times better off. By this point, Jefferson’s transformation into one of the league’s premier big men would be complete.

Look at his numbers in Minnesota. During the 2006-2007 season in Boston, Jefferson averaged 16.0 points per game. The next season, his first with the Timberwolves, Jefferson averaged 21.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Last season, Jefferson scored 23.1 points per game and grabbed 11.0 rebounds per game.

Noticing the trend?

If Jefferson can put up those impressive numbers in Minnesota, arguably one of the worst teams in the toughest environment of play in the Western Conference, just image what he would be doing back in Beantown against weaker Eastern Conference foes.

More so, the likes of Gomes and Gerald Green would have continued their development into solid and serviceable NBA players.

In the 2006-2007 season, Gomes’ last with the Celtics, he averaged 12.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. The next season in Minnesota, Gomes’ numbers increased to 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Last year, Gomes averaged a career-high 13.3 points per game (although his rebounding totals did slip to 4.8 per game).

Not only are his numbers commendable as a backup, by Gomes played all 82 games in each of the last two seasons. You cannot find a player anywhere more dependable than that.

Alas, what is done is done. In no way, shape or form am I saying that making moves towards winning a championship is wrong. As a fan, I greatly respect the brass of the Celtics and their passionate pursuit of a bringing a title back to this historic franchise. I am forever indebted to them for giving me the first Celtics championship of my lifetime.

Yet the Celtics may have wanted to think more about the future while they were busy pursuing a maximum three-year window to win a few championships.

While Rajon Rondo is an electric point guard with incredible slashing capability, he is not built to carry the entire load of this team once the Big Three disband.

Had you continued to build chemistry between Rondo and Jefferson, coupled with the impact of role players like Gomes and Gerald Green, I believe that this team would be on the verge of becoming a longterm super power in the NBA.

Instead? We’re left with a closing window of opportunity.

Let’s face it. If Danny Ainge doesn’t pull another magic trade out of his bag of tricks, the Celtics will have regressed from their status of only three years past.

PAUL PIERCE INJURY

Boston’s eight-time all-star forward Paul Pierce is listed as day-to-day after suffering a mid-foot sprain in his left foor.

Pierce suffered the injury during the Celtics 99-88 win against the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

Despite concerns that Pierce had broken the foot, further evaluations revealed that his foot is only sprained.

Pierce leads the team in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game through 41 games. In addition, Pierce is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game.

A source close to the team said that Pierce could return as early as this weekend.

“That would be a big loss,” Boston guard Rajon Rondo said to Yahoo! Sports’ Mark J. Spears*. “He’s our bread and butter. We just got K.G. back, but it always seems to be something with us.

“That’s the NBA, though. It’s the story of our season.”

*Quotations and some information about Pierce injury from Yahoo! Sports columnist Mark J. Spears’ story, which can be read by clicking on this link.

Gethin Coolbaugh is the Associate Editor of Boston Sports U18. He can be reached at 774-217-0976 or at gethin.coolbaugh@bostonsportsu18.com. You can also follow Gethin Coolbaugh on Twitter, as well as his official NBA Twitter account.