Celtics to miss playoffs

What a bummer. This season has been in the can for a few weeks now, but diehards such as myself have had trouble truly admitting that. Now the question is: what to do in preparation for next year? This is not so easy. As this article helps to explain, there are many points of view on what needs to be done. In my mind, the biggest need is for a dominating big man. Sure we have Kendrick Perkins and Al Jefferson, but these guys still have their troubles. Perkins has really developed into something nice. He's got his sky-hook working in the post, he is indeed one of the best outlet passers (off a rebound) on the team. Aside from that, he's a menacing presence on defense at 6'10", always willing to do the gritty work like boxing out and blocking shots. Al Jefferson, meanwhile has quite a bit of work to do. My confidence is definitely bolstered by the successful development of Perkins, who couldn't do much on the offensive end in his first two years and who, like Jefferson, struggled mightily with foul trouble. Perhaps time is the answer. Maybe Jefferson will develop over the course of the summer into the future hall of famer that many project him to become. In fact, I really like the long-term projection of where this club is headed. A starting five of Delonte West, Paul Pierce, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, and Kendrick Perkins is a whole lot more enticing than it was at the beginning of the year. The only real concern there is that Pierce could be too old to dominate the way he has this season by the time those other guys develop into NBA starters. Clearly, Michael Olowakandi, Raef LaFrentz, and Wally Sczerbiak do not belong in that picture. We need guys that have not only the desire, but the ability to play good, tough, defensive basketball. Even with this thought, however, I can take some solace in the fact that we have some exiting young bench guys in Tony Allen, Dan Dickau, Orien Greene, and Ryan Gomes. Certainly, I would think at least one of those guys will develop into a starter at some point. The question is when, and will Paul Pierce be around to see it? Danny Ainge will provide us with at least part of the answer before opening night, 2006.