DILEMMA

The Boston Celtics had finally arrested their four game losing skid as they defeated the Toronto Raptors, 94-88 yesterday. The defending NBA champions actually had lost seven of their last nine game prior to the Raptors contest. What is mind boggling in the Celtics’ tailspin is that the sudden slump came after winning a franchise record 19 straight victories.

The men in green which had the league’s best record going into their Christmas day game with last year’s finalist and arch rivals Los Angeles Lakers, had now found themselves occupying only the third best win-loss card to date right behind the Lakers and the LBJ-powered Cleveland Cavaliers. Basketball experts throughout the cage world had come up with various opinions on the disintegration of the Beantown outfit.

Celtics guru Doc Rivers had time and again reiterated that for them to repeat as league winners, Boston must perform better than the team did last season. But how can the Celtics exceed their 2007-08 form when their so-called “Big three” (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) are lacking firepower support in all positions. Garnett, Pierce and Allen comprise more than fifty percent of the team’s average points per game. Aside from the Big 3, only guard Rajon Rondo is submitting double digit norm in points per game.

The Big 3 won the title last year for Boston no doubt about it, but not to be discounted is the able support from the bench most notably from clutch shooter and defensive whiz James Posey and veteran PJ Brown. Both Posey and Brown are now gone and while other teams had strengthened their arsenal during the past summer, GM Danny Ainge did not bother to offset their absence thinking otherwise that the Big 3 can salvage the season for the Celtics. Ainge must know that the Big 3 can only do so much and they are no spring chicken anymore. A deeper bench will definitely preserve Garnett, Pierce and Allen come play-off time. Now the question is does the Big 3 had enough gas from their tank when post-season starts?

So unless the Celtics can sign at least two free agents, who can ably fill the void left by Posey and Brown or make a decent trade before the February deadline, they maybe in a for a very rough road ahead comes the second half of the season. And worst, they may kiss their bid for a title retention goodbye. That would be tragic.