The Celtics are back to their capacity of 15 men on the roster, and with a month to go in the regular season, they've got the whole gang together to gear up for playoff basketball. Kendrick Perkins and the rest of the deadline castoffs are long gone, and the C's are focused on what lies ahead. Call it "Phase 2," if you will, to borrow an expression from LeBron James.
Only one problem, though: health. The Celtics are still looking to get their whole 15-man roster back and injury-free at the same time. Until that happens, there will still be a lot of uncertainty surrounding the quest for Banner 18.
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions this week. There were some good ones. Let's dive right in.
Do you expect both Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal to be back and healthy for the playoffs? What bigs do you expect to be contributors?
–Spencer
Call me naive, Spencer, but I still have faith in Jermaine O'Neal. He's currently on the mend from knee surgery, but the operation was a simple cleaning-out process in the knee, and all he needs is time and rest to recover from that. In another month or so, yes, he should be back just in time to find his rhythm for the postseason.
As for Shaq, he'll be fine. He's taking his sweet time at the moment to rest his hip and Achilles soreness, but when the playoffs roll around, he'll be on the floor.
Both Shaq and J.O. should contribute nicely come playoff time. They'll also get a little out of Nenad Krstic and Troy Murphy situationally — Krstic can score both inside and out, and Murphy is an energetic rebounder on both ends. Then, of course, there's Glen Davis, who should see plenty of time in his more natural role as backup power forward.
If for some reason Shaq has another setback before the playoffs, do you think the Celtics still have a good chance of winning a championship this year?
–Joseph
The Celtics are 19-7 this season in games Shaq hasn't played. What do you think?
Honestly, the C's would be a weaker team without Shaq, but they'd be far from crippled. They still have all the weapons to compete for a title right now. Doc Rivers can throw a lot of different looks out there — if he wants a defense-first guy down low, he can go with Jermaine O'Neal. If he wants a scorer, he can go with Krstic. Then there's Big Baby, who's basically the Swiss army knife of NBA big men. He can do it all.
Shaq has been flashy this season because he's started a lot of games strong. He's put up so many 12-point first quarters I've lost count. But Krstic is capable of that, too. While he lacks the star power that Shaq brings, he's a player that can really help the C's in the playoffs.
Assuming Shaq and Delonte West are both back, who will be on the Celtics' 12-man roster for playoffs?
–Celticsbanner, via Twitter
Allow me to start with the obvious caveat — it's hard to assume anyone's health, especially a creaky 39-year-old center. Who makes the cut and who doesn't may be largely dependent on injuries.
But if the C's do have everyone available for the playoffs, they're likely to go with a big man-heavy active roster. Since their bigs aren't the most durable, and they'll get plenty of minutes from Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen at the guard spots, they need to err on the big side with their roster choices. Expect Glen Davis, Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, Troy Murphy and both O'Neals all to be locks for postseason roster spots.
But this is all subject to change. If one guard goes down, you might suddenly see Von Wafer or Avery Bradley thrust into a bigger role than anyone expected.
What do you think will be the Celtics' biggest shortcoming this postseason?
–GamedayTycoon, via Twitter
Am I allowed to say injuries? Of course not, that's cheating. Too easy.
Perhaps a better answer would be the Celtics' toughness inside. This is something you saw exposed a little bit on Wednesday night, when the C's lost to the Clippers — Krstic is a really solid center offensively, but he gives up a little bit of size and strength inside. This is a whole different Celtic team defensively without Perkins, and it'll take a while to adjust to that.
Against a strong big man like Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum, the Celtics may have some trouble in the playoffs. But what if they dodge those guys? The C's fate in the late spring may be largely dependent on who they're matched up with and when.
What role do you see Von Wafer playing? I think he's been huge off the bench, and now he may drift away with how deep the bench is.
–Glenn
That's a legit concern. The C's don't need a lot of guard depth, especially in the playoffs — Rondo and Allen play a ton of minutes, and one backup for the both of them is pretty much sufficient. Delonte West, if and when he gets healthy, can fill that "third guard" role by playing both the one and two.
But if West isn't available, you may see Rivers slide into a two-guard bench rotation, with Carlos Arroyo playing the point and Wafer on the wing. Wafer's a very good player from time to time — when he gets hot and starts knocking down shots, he's exactly the spark the Celtics need sometimes.
Remember how Nate Robinson won the Celtics a game in the clincher of the East finals last spring? Wafer could fill that role this time around.
The Celtics signed Carlos Arroyo to fill their 15th roster spot this week. Now how can they sign Chris Johnson to another 10-day contract?
–TJ
Good catch, TJ. Unfortunately, Arroyo's arrival means Chris Johnson won't be a part of the Celtics' plans for the rest of this season. Johnson was mainly brought in as an emergency fill-in on Feb. 24, when the C's were just finalizing the Perkins trade with Oklahoma City. Now that his 10 days are up, he's been sent packing.
But Doc was very impressed with Johnson during his brief stint with the team. The kid was very raw and needed to add both experience and physical toughness, but he was very skilled for a rookie. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the Celtics revisiting their interest in Johnson this summer.
Troy Murphy needs to step it up! If he can't score, he at least needs to be a beast of a rebounder.
–beachypeachy, via Twitter
At this point, it's clear that the beginning of the Troy Murphy experiment hasn't exactly been ideal. The veteran big man has given the C's about 45 minutes of work in four games, and he's yet to hit a shot. He's 0-for-10.
But with a player in Murphy's situation, you really have to be patient. Bear in mind that the guy barely played at all in New Jersey this season, as Avery Johnson moved him to the end of the Nets' bench and he only played 18 games. He'd been inactive for almost two months before arriving in Boston.
With a guy like that, you have to allow some time for him to find his rhythm. Murphy hasn't given the Celtics anything yet, but he has the potential to be a boon to their big man corps down the road.
