Taking on Water?

Just read that Paul Pierce is out two weeks after having fluid drained from his knee.  Obviously this is not good, and it means that Pierce will miss the upcoming road trip, including Boston's Christmas day showdown in Orlando.  What the Celtics will do without him is beyond me, since they're already thin at the wing positions without Marquis Daniels.  I suppose that Tony Allen and the recently recalled Bill Walker and possibly J.R. Giddens will fill in, though my brain can't fathom a universe where those guys are able to effectively replace the stats Pierce provides on a daily basis, much less the intangibles and leadership he brings to the table.  Actually, the thought of Tony Allen getting more minutes just made me throw up in my mouth a little.

In a weird way, this news could be a bit relieving for the Celtics over the long run.  First and foremost, this injury is minor and the Celtics are focused on preventative care, hence the longer than expected absence.  Doc Rivers, Danny Ainge et al are focused on playing in May and June of 2010, so taking risks with players now and turning minor injuries into season ending ones is not something they're prepared to do (hence KG sitting last night because of a bruise).  This way, Pierce will get some rest now and can hopefully heal fully in plenty of time to reestablish a rhythm before the All-Star break.  

And aside from the Christmas Day match-up with Orlando, the road trip doesn't have too many difficult games for the Celtics.  After Orlando, the Celtics head to the west coast to face the Clippers, Warriors and (gulp) the Pheonix Suns.  The Clippers and Warriors are both very beatable without Pierce, and the Suns could always falter against a defensive team that has plenty of size inside (check for the Celtics) and a quick, tough point guard to challenge Steve Nash (double check).  So in theory all four games are winnable, with a 2-2 finish being a bit pessimistic but likely.

If you ask me, the biggest downside to this injury is the fact that I won't get to watch Pierce play this week while I'm home in Massachusetts.  Ultimately, the Celtics will be just fine.  Even if these injuries cost the Celtics a few games, it won't matter much.  This Celtics squad is so talented that home court throughout the Playoffs won't matter (Cleveland hasn't been the same at home this year and the LA crowd always sucks, so who cares?).  The Celtics just need to be healthy by March so they can establish a rhythm for the Playoffs.  

The bottom line is that you will not hear any griping about injuries out of this writer, especially since I live in Portland, where the "Frail" Blazers are down to eight healthy bodies and NO centers after Joel Przybilla went down for the season last night.  Boston can play through their injuries and will still be atop the East at season's end.  Portland, on the other hand, looked like a possible number two in the West behind the Lakers, are now going to have to focus on simply making it to the end of the year.  

UPDATE:

Pierce may not be out a full two weeks according to recent reports.  He'll still miss the road trip, but this is still great news.  Happy Holidays!