Changing of the Guard

Either the Celtics or the Lakers will not be playing in the NBA Finals for only the fourth time in the last eleven years. So are both teams done? Is this the last we will see of the NBA's two most storied franchises for a while? Is a new regime of the NBA elite upon us?

Some are saying they are too old. The Celtics have been teetering on the line of too old and the peak of their star players careers, while the Lakers seem too have serious locker room issues. Mr. Laker himself, Magic Johnson has called for the Lakers team to be "blown up" because the issues behind the scenes can not be fixed. The "blow-up" theory has been mentioned  the best option to solve the aging Celtics problems, too.

Slow down. I do not think it is time to start over for either of these franchises. The most obvious reason is the way the contracts in Los Angeles and Boston are set up. The Celtics older players that are calling to be moved are too much a part of the history of the Celtics, a la Derek Jeter and the Yankees last summer. The big three all have huge contracts limiting to where, if they even could be moved. Yes the team is older, but they were just a few plays from advancing to at least a game seven with the Heat. All-Star PG Rajon Rondo, the grease that keeps the Boston machine running, dislocated his elbow and was limited to playing with one arm for the last two games.

Unless the Lakers can figure out a trade deal in which Andrew Bynum is sent to Orlando for Dwight Howard, there are very few moves that can be done to increase the talent on the already most talented starting five. The bench will be shaken up a little bit if they want to advance further in the playoffs next year. They are built to win now and it is too late to start to rebuild a new team around Kobe Bryant. Another factor that played a key role in the Lakers early exit is fatigue. The core of the Lakers has played 44 more games than the Dallas Mavericks over the past three postseasons. Add in an Olympic run and FIBA World Championship run, Kobe was too tired late this season to will his team to victory.

Stick with what you have at least for one more year Los Angeles and Boston. You have a good thing going and "blowing up" your teams would be too risky. Fix the depth on the bench, get some rest this summer, and you will both be good to go for another deep postseason run.