No Rondo, No Problem?

By now, everyone knows that the Celtics have lost All-Star PG Rajon Rondo for the rest of the season (and most likely a chunk of next season). Let's start off by saying this, Rondo was having an amazing season and hopefully he can get back on the court as soon as possible. He deserved being named the starter for this year's All-Star Game and in a Derrick Rose-less NBA, Rondo was probably only second to Chris Paul in terms of the best PG's this season.

This injury comes at an interesting point in the season for the C's because there is still time to clean house and attempt to move aging players and expensive contracts like Pierce or Garnett, but they could also stick it out and see what their current roster could do in this year's playoffs. So what does Boston do?

Clean House and Save Money

There are many factors that make this a very tricky path for the Celtics to go down. For starters, can Celtics fans even fathom parting ways with someone as popular and iconic to their franchise as Paul Pierce? Not to mention he is 35 years old and making something like $15 million this season. KG is up there in age as well and his salary is only a few million less then Pierce. Combine age with salary and who can the Celtics possible get for these two guys! There have been rumors of someone like Rudy Gay, but that doesn't seem very realistic at this point in time. Tom Penn, an ESPN basketball analyst, mentioned a possible KG for Pau swap, but can the Lakers and Celtics really sit down and do business together... most likely not. Although with Rondo out and an aging roster, clearing cap space and preparing for the future might be the smart thing to do, it may not be the easiest.

Next Man Up

The Celtics have relied heavily on Rondo this season, but now more then ever they need someone on the roster now to step up and help fill the void that Rondo left. The Celtics acquired Jason Terry this off-season with the idea that he would replace Ray Allen, but he has done next to nothing this season and has been a disappointment thus far. He has been a career 16 and 5 player and this season he's only averaging 10 points and 2 assists. Although he is past his prime at this point in his career, Jet needs to elevate his game. Two other guys who can become season-savers for the Celtics are Avery Bradley and Jeff Green. Both of these players are averaging 9-10 points a game and there is no doubt that they will need to pick up their play in the second half of the season.

But something that is overlooked in this situation are the leaders that the Celtics have. It all starts at the top with Doc Rivers. He is one of the best coaches in this league and really knows how to get the best out of his players. Paul Pierce, "The Truth", is a 20,000 point scorer who has a championship ring to his credit and there is no way that he will give up on the season. Regardless of age, Pierce will step up and push himself and his teammates. Jason Terry also has a championship ring and if he can play better on a consistent basis, younger players like Bradley and Green can feed off of that. Finally, there is Kevin Garnett. Although at times he can be considered a dirty player, no one questions his intensity or heart. There are great leaders on this roster and at a time like this, leadership is something to be relied on to get the Celtics through this tough time.

Boston took the Heat to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year when no one expected them to do so. This is a team and a franchise that has proven to be resilient time after time and this is just yet another obstacle for them to use as motivation. They will read the obituaries written for their season, as Doc Rivers referenced, and use them as fuel to get them through the second half of the season. Things may look bad for the C's, but the Knicks aren't an unbeatable team and the Celtics just beat the Heat without Rondo. A 7 game series is a much different story and may seem impossible, but the Celtics should never be counted out.