It aint easy being brilliant...

Paul Pierce looked like the Pierce of old, with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists in a C’s 100-94 win over the Washington Wizards.

The Celtics started the season at 0-3 WITHOUT Paul Pierce.

Paul Pierce RETURNED on Friday and they got their first win.

Coincidence?

I think not.

I have FOREVER been of the opinion that Paul Pierce is the most valuable player on a team of legit stars.

Garnett anchors the defense, sure, but he isn’t getting any younger, and at this point in his career can’t be relied on to carry the C’s offense for any long stretch of time.

Rondo is the playmaker. You need look NO further than the stat sheet to now that that is true. But his jump shot is, putting it kindly, an UNBELIEVABLE liability to the Celtics on the offensive end of the court, and at times, you will notice that the person guarding him simply doesn’t have to guard him at all.

Ray Allen is just as much a knock down shooter as he ever was. An ageless stroke that will allow him to bust threes on the regular well into his 40’s if he chooses to do so can’t hide the fact that Allen seemingly hasn’t created his own shot off of the dribble since he’s been in Celtic green. He is a catch and shoot guy and a solid team defender who isn’t about to lock down ANY perimeter star by his lonesome.

Paul Pierce is the glue that makes it all fit together.

He always has been.

Everything that each and every one of the other guys does, Pierce does AS WELL, if not better.

And on Friday night, he retured to the delight of the Celtics’ faithful, and helped the team to it’s first victory.

It also didn’t hurt that Jermaine O’Neal had, by my recolection, what HAD to be his best performance in a Celtics uniform, pouring in a team high 19 points to go along with his 7 rebounds.

NOW we will get to be able to make an educated guess as to what we can expect from the C’s this season.

I mean, I absolutely would NOT get carried away over a victory of a team so far removed from it’s “Bad Boy” days or even it’s Chauncey/Rip/Larry Brown days that it’s hard to believe it’s the same franchise.

The Boston Celtics just got served the same dose of reality that was served to my beloved Los Angeles Lakers a few days ago.

They are old, tired, un-athletic, and not deep enough.

This dose will certainly be every bit as difficult to swallow for C’s fans as it was for me and my fellow Lakers fans to swallow our dose.

I took my dose with A LOT of alcohol.

Certainly the Celts fans have got to be wondering…

What now?

What do we have to do to stay competitive?

What can we do that will help us win a championship?

I was actually listening to a Boston area writer on ESPN radio who said that the team needed to be kept as is.

That is the dumbest fucking thing I have EVER heard.

Thay HAVE GOT TO revamp their roster. But their are 2 problems:

1. They are over the salary cap. So bringing in a big name free agent, or any free agent AT ALL really, is all but impossible.
2. They have ZERO tradeable commodities. They aren’t going to trade Garnett, Pierce, Allen, or Rondo, even though I think Rondo is THE MOST overrated player in the league. He gets so many assists because he has the big three to dish the ball to. And his shot? This motherfucker couldn’t hit sand if he fell off a camel. So…tradeable commdities?? Big Baby? No. Troy Murphy? No. Jeff Green? The Celtics THEMSELVES can tell you that he isn’t worth trading for. Delonte West? Maybe Bron Bron’s momma might trade for him, but that’s about it.

They HAVE to get younger, deeper, and more athletic, and a few more shooters certainly wouldn’t hurt. Anything to keep Rondo from shooting it, am I right?

So what the hell do they do??

It’s going to be a LONG ass offseason in Celtic land.

LeBron James played like the player that won the NBA trophy each of the last 2 seasons, scoring 34 points, and dominating the Celts aging defense.

That is all well and good.

The Heat looked great, and I’m finally going to come out and say that LeBron James is the most underrated defensive player in the NBA.

But I have QUITE A FEW issues with the Celts game, game plan, and strategy for tonight’s game.

1. Why was Doc Rivers so insistent on Kevin Garnett getting 20 shot attempts?? He is their THIRD best offensive player. NO team’s third best option should get 20 shots!
2. Rajon Rondo is THE WORST SHOOTER AT HIS POSITION IN ALL THE LEAGUE!!!! Any time this guy gets 10 points, it sure as fuck better be 5 fast break lay ups! To defenses in the league….why even guard this guy AT ALL??
3. Where the fuck were Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in the 4th quarter of this game??? Or the entire 2nd half for that matter. Your 2 best offensive options, completely silent in the 2nd half??? Makes ZERO sense.
4. Is it just me, or wa Craig Sager reporting a different injury on one of the big 4 for the Celts EVERY time he spoke???

COME ON GUYS!!!! Retired war vets with NO hands and NO feet don’t make that many excuses!!!

Yo, Boston, are you TRYING to lose???

Yo, Doc, are you trying to get your season over with quick so that you can take a break from coaching and go help your son Austin get ready for Duke??

Yo, Celts, are you guys anxious to end the season and join the San Antonio Spurs in an old folks home???

Act right!

Celts fans, before you give me hell for all of this, take into account that I picked the Celts to WIN this series, and to make it to the NBA Finals. BUT THERE ISN’T A MOTHERFUCKIN WAY THAT IS GOIN TO HAPPEN IF THEY CONTINUE TO PLAY LIKE THIS!

Celts…it MAY be a LONELY offseason for you guys. BECAUSE:

Paul Pierce= 38 points, 6-8 threes

Ray Allen= 32 points, 8-11 threes

Rajon Rondo= 15 points, 11 rebounds, 20 assists, 4 overpayed Knocks scored on in this pick

All of this STRAIT BALLIN’ adds up to a 113-96 win. If these three guys can bring 90% of THIS to every game this post season, nobody else stands a chance…

Damn it pains me to say that…

I’m a Lakers fan.