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NBA Baseketball –Injuries Could Become A Concern For Celtics As Playoffs Near

April 5th, 2011 |

After it looked as though the Boston Celtics would have little problem cruising to an Eastern conference title for most of the online sports betting season, it appears now as though they might not finish in the top two. Even more concerning for the defending conference champions is a pair of notable big men that just can’t seem to stay healthy, a tandem that will be crucial if the Celtics are going to get back to the NBA finals this year. Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal have hardly seen the floor this season, and after watching the former make his highly anticipated return to the lineup in Sunday’s win over the Detroit Pistons only to leave six minutes later with a sprained right ankle, there is reason for concern. The 39-year old Shaq was to be transitioned slowly back into the lineup under the watchful eye of head coach Doc Rivers to avoid injury, but now he is under the focused eye of team doctors. Meanwhile, Jermaine has played only sparingly in three games this season, after missing 36 others with nagging injuries. The two O’Neal centers were the obvious reason why Boston general manager Danny Ainge elected to send Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder just prior to this year’s NBA trade deadline, and if they can’t get a steady contribution from both men they will be in trouble.

Nenad Krstic was one of the pieces that came to the Celtics as part of the deal for Perkins, but he is now day-to-day as well with a smaller injury. Even when healthy, it may be too much to ask the European big man to clash with players such as Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, which is why Boston so desperately needs some strength in the lineup. Semih Erden has done well with the minutes that Rivers has given him this year, while Glen “Big Baby” Davis has progressed well under the mentorship of some of his All Star teammates. That includes forward Kevin Garnett, who is one of the meanest players in the NBA but does have a history of notable pay per head injuries as well.

The Celtics thrive on a strong defense and the ability to move the ball with pace on offense, and their perimeter shooting is stacked with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Jeff Green, but it is the interior that will be so crucial against a sports betting bonus team like the Magic. The Chicago Bulls have climbed to the top of the Eastern conference standings ahead of Boston in big part because of MVP candidate Derrick Rose, but that doesn’t mean that Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah haven’t done their part in the paint. Getting to the NBA finals will mean at least a healthy core of big men to compete every night in the postseason, and while it is still a couple of weeks away, injuries could become a concern for Boston as the playoffs near.