The Old and the Rested: Do the Boston Celtics Have Enough in the Tank?

The Boston Celtics were definitely favored to take the East, but they have not looked anything like champions as of late. History says that this is just a phase that the Celtics have before they enter the playoffs, but this may be different. I don't want to beat a broken drum, but trading Kendrick Perkins was very harmful in hindsight. If either of the O'Neils (preferably Shaq) were healthy, Perkins is expendable. But Shaq is injured and Jermaine O'Neil is nowhere near as big of a presence as Shaq. But of course I neglect to mention the other cogs of the team. But Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett all look tired, while Rajon Rondo just looks out of it. It could be a phase, but with a very good Philadelphia star-studded New York Knicks team waiting for them in the playoffs, the Celtics should bust out of this funk sometime soon, or else they may send a couple of people to a very early retirement.