In the End, Pierce and Allen Need Garnett

It’s bad form to spit on a man right after he’s exited the playoffs -- let him grieve, let others celebrate him for making it as far as he did. But it’s been a few hours since the Celtics were bounced by the decidedly superior Magic (the phrase “act like you know” comes to mind with Orlando), so it’s open season. And I have a thing or two to say about Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.↵
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↵Throughout this postseason, we’ve all been pleasantly surprised, moved, and sometimes annoyed, by what the Celtics were able to accomplish without Kevin Garnett. They came within one win of the conference finals, relying heavily on a core that came into its own in the vacuum left by KG. Or was it just Garnett who left a void to fill? Paul Pierce put up some impressive numbers, but seemed a lot less central to these games than you would’ve expected. Ray Allen, on the other hand, was all over the place statistically while, at least to this observer, hitting more big shots. One was a star in quantity, the other, quality.↵
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↵Maybe I’m being a bit harsh. But didn’t “The Big Three” imply that some kind of parity? Everyone knew Garnett was the top dog; however, the Ticket is famously deferential. Pierce was the Finals MVP last year, and Allen made the All-Star team this season after never quite looking himself during 2007-08. It’s all fine and good that Rondo, Davis and Perkins have now come into their own as starters. It would’ve been nice, though, if either Pierce or Allen had consistently played beyond themselves, stepping up in the same way these youngsters did. We heard a lot about how Pierce was going to, any minute now, but those decisive gestures were few and far between, especially in the clutch. And Allen just didn’t come through with any regularity, tallying ten or less points in five playoff contests.↵
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I know, I know. These are aging stars who can always shove a ring in my face. They helped the Celtics get further than they should’ve. And neither could’ve provided the inside play that Davis and Perkins did, or matched Rondo at facilitating the offense. It just comes as a bit of a shocker that neither Pierce nor Allen were the heart and soul of this team for many of their wins this postseason. They weren’t unconsciously swinging the momentum or lashing out like defending champions with their pride on the line. They just played their respective games, maybe even less purposefully than when Garnett’s around. The last few weeks have reminded us what their limits, and limitations, are -- qualities likely exaggerated by their age. ↵
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↵Who knows, maybe if Garnett were around without Pierce or Allen, we’d be saying similar things about him. All this proves is that the Big Three need each other -- that for all their talent, the distinguishing characteristic of this latest class of Celtics greats is that none of them could do it on their own. Or perhaps we’re looking at the future of the Celtics: One where Garnett and this batch of youngsters carry the weight while Pierce and Allen become increasingly irrelevant.
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