Celtics hitting traditional stumbles as playoffs draw near

There was a time not so long ago when all the Celtics would have wanted was another shot at the Lakers with a healthy Kendrick Perkins.

Now he's gone.

There was a time not so long ago when all the Celtics could have wished for was another all-or-nothing Game 7, this time on their own parquet floor.

Now they can feel that slipping through their hands like a greased rope.

While so much of the attention has gone to the Day-Glo antics in Miami and Derrick Rose's splendid MVP-worthy drive in Chicago, the under-the-radar story in the Eastern Conference is the playoff-readiness of the Celtics.

They're not.

Not when Boston is knocking around in a drag 8-5 neighborhood since the Perkins trade, including four losses in their last seven games. Not when the offense is struggling. Not when the defense is lacking. Not when Rajon Rondo is dragging. Not when there may be more lingering injuries than a Saturday night in the emergency room.