Celtics Blog: The Window Has Closed

If you're a Celtics fan today, the most painful part of your team's loss is that it probably closes the book on the Big 3 era of the Celtics. There will almost certainly be changes next year, some of which could be major. Doc Rivers might not return. Ray Allen is a free agent, and Paul Pierce could be. Rasheed Wallace might retire (okay, I was kidding on that being a big deal). The team you'll see next year probably won't look the same as the one you saw this season.

If this is the end, it was a really good run. They got one title in 2008 and could have easily had two more. But at the same time, as SB Nation's Celtics Blog writes, it has to sting that the Lakers won two of the three titles during the Big 3 era.

I'm still bleary-eyed from last night, but I woke up with a pit in my stomach that derives itself from the realization that our window might just be closed and 2 out of the 3 years the Lakers were the ones that got to hoist the trophy.  That stings.

Worse, as Celtics Blog writes, the Celtics had their chances during this era to add to their one title.

Three years, one Championship.  If you had given me those numbers 4 years ago, I'd take them in a heartbeat.  But if you told me 2 of them would go to the Lakers, I'd probably lose my lunch.

I can't help but think that there were opportunities lost.  Injuries happen, age creeps up, that's life.  But still, the Celtics were up 3 games to 2 on the Magiclast year and couldn't close out.  They were up 3 games to 2 this year in the Finals and couldn't close out.  

The 2008 Championship means that we'll never think of this team as a failure, but it's just a shame they couldn't have done more.