With Shaq heading to Cleveland, Boston has to do something to upgrade the roster. By the way, at what point is the commisioner going to step in and stop these salary dump trades? I thought there were rules about maintaining a competitive team. If one more team trades an all-star for a $10 Gap gift card and a handful of funny money at the worst topless club in town I am gonna start watching curling or something. Boston will not get out of the East even with a MLE pickup. Now that Cleveland has O'Neal, players will line up for a chance to get a ring. I can hear Shawn Marion calling his agent as I type this.

My suggestion is two fold, make a trade to help us compete while also making a move to help our future. First I would attempt to deal Ray Allen to New Orleans for Antonio Daniels, Tyson Chandler and 21st pick. Second, trade Perkins and Scalabrine to Memphis for Darrell Arthur and Marko Jaric  and the 2nd pick. This would keep our team competitive while also setting us up for the future by picking Tyreke Evans at two and either Austin Daye or Dajuan Summers at 21. A side bonus of having Jaric on the team would be Adriana Lima at home games. Seriously, (Actually I am dead serious about that last point.) the team would still be a defensive force, would be deep with a core of good talent for the future that would allow us to pick up a FA eager to fill the SG position to get a ring. In fact, I think we might be able to snag Ron Artest, how would that be trying to score on a team with Garnett, Pierce, Artest, Chandler and Rondo on the court. Good luck with that.

I think you could make those trades because we are taking back some bad contracts in addition to the picks and we give a great center to Memphis in Perk and a SG in Allen who comes off the books in a season plus would form a deadly back court for New Orleans to stay up to speed in the West. It would certainly put us in a position to look forward to the upcoming season rather than standing pat and hoping we stay healthy all season. (Doubtful)

Cleveland has passed us with this move, If Orlando can keep Hedo, they are right with us and will be better if we show our age again in the post-season. The Celtics must adjust. I think this is a realistic and favorable way to do it.  

That's it. As I predicted, Bulls will win this. Time to rebuild. Garnett will not come back from this just like Bird never came back from his injury. We have to get at least one pick this year to solve our horrible lack of length on this team. Yes we won the title but we mortgaged our future to the hilt. We are on the hook for Garnetts salary while he will never, I repeat NEVER be a shadow of himself.

I simply no longer feel we will be back to back champs. We are too dinged up to gel before the playoffs, and we are certainly too thin on the bench. We do not have the players to deal with Lebron or Kobe getting all the home calls they will get in the playoffs. I even doubt we will get out of the East frankly. I have been a fan of the C's since the early 80's as a young kid and have always been one. I will pull for them no matter what but I rationally can not say I think they have the guns to take another title this year. I sure hope that we try to get a first rounder off of a team willing to sell one to save money as we need serious help on the bench and an injection of youth and legit size.