Last Chance For The Big Three

The upcoming 2011-2012 NBA season could mark the end of the Celtics "Big Three" era. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen's contracts are both up at the end of the year and though it would be incredibly stupid to not re-sign at least one of them, it's questionable if either of them will re-sign. 

This is the first time during this era that the Celtics aren't favored to win the East. In fact, they are projected by the media and fans to finish behind the Heat, Knicks, and Hawks. 

This season is going to be a physical challenge for the Celtics. Even though they will be playing sixteen less games, they are going to be playing four to five games per week. This is for sure not going to work in their favor as they are old and beat up. Paul Pierce is currently nursing a bruised right heel and has been limited during the preseason. With a shortened season, taking a week or two off is a lot different then it would be with an 82-game schedule, especially when it involves one of your leading scorers.

It's going to be interesting to see if the Celtics age will catch up to them throughout the season and if the original "Big Three" has any magic left in them. The Celtics will tip-off their season on Christmas day against the New York Knicks.