So what's the plan?
For the past four years, it's been said that Danny Ainge's plan was to acquire assets so that he could make the big trade to put the Celtics over. Two things happened in that time, the Celtics became worse and are now two trades away from really contending and now, one of those big trades has presented itself. While I was not a fan of the AI deal, it seems odd that Danny refused to pull the trigger when a deal like this is what he'd been waiting for.
If Danny isn't willing to give up Gerald or Big Al unless he's getting back someone better than AI, then I think we should all wake up to the reality that the team we have is the team we'll be having for quite some time. Unless a KG or JO deal come about (and it should be interesting to see just how much we'd offer for Jermaine), the Gerald/Pierce/Jefferson trio is our core for the present and the future.
While I know most people like to use the impending new year as a time to look back, I think it's reached the hour in which C's fans have to look forward. Where do we go from here? The most obvious move is for the Celtics to try to upgrade at point guard and add a more athletic big man (one who can defend centers AND hit the high post jumper). With Al holding his own in the middle, it might be time to look to find a new power forward. Everyone loves Gomes but he is a bench player. Telfair, Rondo, and West are nice but I think the best case scenario for any of them would be that they might become a consistent NBA starter by next midseason and I'm not sure if we want to waste any more of Pierce's prime waiting on young guys to mature.
Of course, all of this could be yet another deferral from Ainge. NEXT YEAR, when hopefully JO or KG will be moved, is when we make our big push. If that's the case, it will be another year of hope and the status quo.
