Celtics (11-21) vs Nets (16-18): Time For A Youth Movement

Fresh off a dispiriting loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Boston Celtics find themselves in Brooklyn tonight trying to get some positive momentum going.

Due to the absolutely abysmal make-up of the Atlantic Division, and the Eastern Conference as a whole, Boston actually enters tonight’s game as the third-place team in the Atlantic, and is somehow only 2.5 games behind the 8th-seeded team in the East, the Miami Heat. I’m sure dreams of making the playoffs are in the heads of everyone in the Boston Celtics locker room, but nothing about the team’s performance Monday night points at those dreams becoming a reality this season.

Losing takes its toll, people, and a good chunk of this roster is en route to losing over 100 games spread across the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons. This team is in need of a shake-up, which is why I would love to see coach Brad Stevens load his starting five up with as much young talent as possible.

But what about winning tonight’s game, you ask? Who the hell cares about that?

Even if Trader Danny Ainge doesn’t ship Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, or both of these guys out of town by the end of the season, this team would be three-and-done if it managed to squeak into the playoffs with the eighth seed. That’s a big if, too, since we all know that Ainge has been actively shopping both Green and Bass, in search of more magic beans – I mean, in search of more draft picks!