The Celtics are in San Antonio tonight to take on the Spurs. Jermaine O’Neal practiced yesterday and is expected to play for the Celtics.

With just a few weeks before the playoffs begin, there is plenty of worry about this team, and the integration of their new pieces, as well as their state of mind. Jackie MacMullan on ESPN Boston today, has Ainge speaking about the deal, and admitting the risks that went along with it. Bill Simmons explored this topic with WEEI play-by-play man Sean Grande on the B.S. Report Tuesday, and Simmons is clearly one of those who believes the trade was a disaster to team chemistry. In fact, they were making the case the Danny Ainge’s entire legacy as GM of the Celtics hinges on this trade. Simmons says that the Garnett deal will always be dismissed by some as Ainge’s buddy doing him a favor.

Some of these concerns are valid, however, I have to rebut one major point that Simmons, as well as Glenn Ordway and others have been making repeatedly since the deal was made. They’ve stated emphatically that the Celtics were the heavy favorites to win the title at the time that the trade was made and that since the trade, that is no longer the case. That’s a pretty easy statement to make, and it is true on the surface, but can it actually be used as an argument that the trade was a failure?

Consider this. Say the trade was never made. Perkins remained a member of the Celtics. Remember, he was already injured at the time, and would miss the next three weeks. Who was going to play center for the Celtics in that span? Glen Davis? They would’ve likely had to sign the skinny kid, Chris Johnson for the remainder of the season, and he and Davis would’ve been your center rotation for three weeks. Meanwhile, let’s say the team still signed Troy Murphy. Because of the shortage of big men he would’ve had to have played more minutes, and he’s been a disaster thus far. If Davis is in your starting lineup, you’ve got absolutely no scoring in the second unit, with the exception of a few outbursts from Delonte West, who was also injured during that time. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen would be playing huge minutes, with no rest. Perkins would’ve felt pressure to return even sooner, and who knows how effective he’d have been?

Meanwhile, the Lakers and Bulls would’ve still be on their other-worldly streaks that they’ve been on since the All Star break. The Celtics undoubtedly would’ve dipped some in their play. Would the Celtics still right now be the undisputed favorites to win the title? I don’t think so. People like Ordway would still be scared to death of the Bulls.

While some have said they like the deal long-term, as it gives the Celtics the possibility of some nice pieces for the future, they say that Ainge sabotaged hopes for a title this season. I think you can make the argument that Ainge made the deal as much for the short-term as he did for the long term. He knew Perkins was injured and that the Celtics would be without a true center for better than a month. He knew that there was no offense on the bench, no one to give Pierce and Allen some rest. Simply put, he had to make this deal.

Now, all the other arguments about team chemistry, confidence, ubuntu, the time to get new guys acclimated – you can make arguments (still flimsy in my opinion) for those points. But you cannot point to the Celtics record and standing in the league at the time of the trade, and since then to make any sort of case that the trade was a failure.

Now a few quick links for today:

Five questions for the Celtics down the stretch – Paul Flannery with a look at some things the Celtics need to figure out in the next few weeks.

Celtics getting big boost - Julian Benbow has more on Jermaine O’Neal’s return to action. Mark Murphy has more on O’Neal.

No more sitting pretty – Chris Forsberg says that it is time for the bench to step up.

Boston enters season with target on its back – Ron Chimelis has a preview of the 2011 Red Sox.

Meet the 2011 Boston Red Sox – Gordon Edes goes over the opening-day roster player-by-player.

Sox good enough to be second to none – John Tomase wonders if this is the best Red Sox team of all time.

Saltalamacchia ready for a fresh start with Red Sox – Sean McAdam has the new starting catcher ready to go.

Red Sox fit Carl Crawford well – Michael Silverman has the new outfielder comfortable with his new team. Tony Massarotti lists Crawford on his “Most likely to disappoint” list.

Marcus Stroud eager to extend himself – Ian Rapoport talks with the new Patriot, who is looking forward to revitalizing his career in New England.

Zdeno Chara brings it at both ends of ice – Rich Thompson has the Norris trophy candidate priding himself on being an all-around defenseman.

The Bruins continued their hot play last night, as Tim Thomas solidified his grip on another Vezina trophy by blanking the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 at the Garden last night. Get all the coverage at BruinsLinks.com.

Bruins power toward playoffs with 3-0 victory over Chicago - Mike Loftus has the Bruins looking to continue playing desperate hockey. Rich Thompson has the Bruins getting the best of an original six rival.

Recchi has a winning plan - Kevin Paul Dupont has the 43-year-old Bruin saying that he will retire if the Bruins can win a cup. Douglas Flynn has Recchi reaching yet another career milestone last night. Joe McDonald has more on Recchi’s retirement plans. Danny Picard has Recchi able to still teach lessons after 22 seasons.

Thomas on his way to another Vezina - Joe Haggerty has the Bruins goaltender locking down the award with his performance last night. DJ Bean has Thomas returning to the unbeatable form he showed in October. Stephen Harris has Thomas in playoff form. James Murphy has Thomas again at the top of his game.

Shawn Thornton bloodied but unbowed - Thompson’s notebook has Thornton needing 40 stitches above his eye for a non-combat-related injury. The Globe notebook from Fluto Shinzawa has more on Thornton. The Patriot-Ledger notebook from Mike Loftus has rookie Brad Marchand notching his 20th goal of the season night.

Red Flops - Dave Dyer finds problems all over the Red Sox roster, saying it would be foolish to write them in as AL Champs.

What the Red Sox learned this spring - Gordon Edes has 10 things we’ve learned about the 2011 Sox.

Red Sox count on Clay Buchholz - Scott Lauber says that the Red Sox are placing a lot of faith in the young righthander.

As park is left behind, memories spring to mind - As the Red Sox played their final game at City of Palms park yesterday, Nick Cafardo got nostalgic.

Developmental dilemma for Red Sox prospect Jose Iglesias - Alex Speier examines the dilemma the Red Sox face with the phenom shortstop.

Not open-and-shut - Peter Abraham’s notebook says that the opening day lineup is still in flux. The Herald notebook from Scott Lauber has more on Terry Francona’s choices for opening day. Tim Britton’s Red Sox Journal has Buchholz looking strong in his final spring start. The CSNNE notes from Maureen Mullen has Carl Crawford picking up an award from the Tampa writers.

Celtics facing major issues as playoffs approach - A. Sherrod Blakely looks at some things the Celtics need to get straightened out before the postseason arrives.

Celtics’ slide wasn’t part of the plan - Peter May says that this year’s slide is much more concerning than last year’s.

Problematic Celtics need to be answerable - Julian Benbow has the Celtics hitting their rough patch, just as all other top teams have had theirs this season.

Rookies lose time for learning - Karen Guregian says an extended lockout will make it very difficult for rookies to contribute to the Patriots this season.

Andy Reid, Bill Belichick Represent Rare Models of Head Coaching Consistency and 19 Other NFL Thoughts - Jeff Howe goes around the NFL.

Once again, the Celtics started strong, but finished poorly, losing to the Pacers in Indiana 107-100. About the only good thing you can say about this loss is that they looked better in losing to the Pacers than they did in beating the Timberwolves on Sunday. Get all the coverage at Celticslinks.com.

Don’t blame ‘The Trade’ - Gerry Callahan says again that the trade of Kendrick Perkins is not to blame for the Celtics slide.

Rondo’s spark not enough for Celtics - Paul Flannery has the point guard getting back on track, but other pieces falling short. Chris Forsberg tries to find some positives from last night.

Frustrated Allen cuts backdoor - Gary Washburn says that Ray Allen was clearly frustrated with his role last night, and his avoidance of the media afterwards speaks volumes.

Jermaine O’Neal near return - Julian Benbow’s notebook has the veteran center set to practices with the team, and hopes to play on Thursday night against the Spurs. A. Sherrod Blakely has more on O’Neal’s return,  and the Herald notebook from Mark Murphy has more on Rondo’s encouraging performance.

In Tito they trust - Joe McDonald has a feature on what has made Terry Francona the most successful Red Sox managers in Boston history. Scott Lauber has more on Francona’s style.

Five things spring training taught us about these Red Sox - Rob Bradford looks at some things we’ve learned about the 2011 Red Sox. The ProJo trots out Five keys to the season.

Albers and Reyes are keepers - Peter Abraham has the Red Sox making some tough decisions in the bullpen. Gordon Edes has more on the decision to send down Hideki Okajima. who has been the Red Sox top lefty reliever for the last four seasons.

Lackey not thrown off - The Globe notebook has John Lackey adjusting to a change of plans yesterday. The CSNNE notes from Sean McAdam have more on Lackey. The Herald Red Sox Notebook from Lauber has more on Okajima being sent down, as does the Red Sox Journal from Tim Britton.

Air has been cleared a bit - The Bruins notebook from Fluto Shinzawa has the defensemen working with the goaltenders in order to keep visual lanes clear. The Herald notebook from  Stephen Harris has the Bruins looking to keep their momentum going with crisp practices.

The Bruins came up huge last night, pounding the revenge-minded Canadiens 7-0 in a thoroughly enjoyable hockey game at the Garden. Get the complete coverage at Bruinslinks.com. It might be fun to also check out the Montreal Gazette this morning as well.

Clean hit - Fluto Shinzawa says: In perhaps their most complete game of the season, the Bruins got contributions up and down their lineup to lay the worst kind of smackdown on their most hated rival. Mick Colageo has the Bruins flat-out taking care of business.

Bruins show they can beat the Habs the right way - DJ Bean adds: So while there weren’t many punches thrown, the messages that the Bruins needed to convey were conveyed. They can beat their rivals the right way. Steve Conroy also agrees that the Bruins did their pounding the right way. Danny Picard has Nathan Horton among the stars of this win “the right way.”

Leadership, big wins give Bruins a boost - Joe McDonald praises the presence of Mark Recchi, saying that his stats don’t even matter, because what he brings off the ice is so much more important for this team. Stephen Harris has Recchi’s comments this week hitting their mark.

Gregory Campbell speaks up with two goals, fists - Conroy’s notebook has the scrappy centerman proving to be much more than a throw-in in the Nathan Horton deal. The CSNNE notes from Joe Haggerty has Zdeno Chara making a strong statement last night. Dan Hickling’s Bruins Journal has the Bruins doing no gloating following the big win. The Globe notebook from Fluto Shinzawa has more on Recchi’s comments.

Media Roundup: Remember The Bruins? - My SBNation Boston media column has Michael Felger riding Bruins talk to ratings success.

Going gets tough in practice - Steve Bulpett has the Celtics getting charged up with an intense practice. Frank Dell’Apa has more on the practice session.

In tight race, C’s keep eyes on the prize - Peter May has the Celtics still focused on getting the top seed. Jessica Camerato adds that there will be a lot of desperate teams on the Celtics upcoming schedule.

Always a deep concern - Nick Cafardo frets over the Red Sox starting pitching depth after the top five.

The iceless man cometh: Clay Buchholz and the quest for 200 innings - Alex Speier examines the thin righty’s goal of becoming a workhorse. Scott Lauber has more on the goal for Buchholz.

Aceves always marched to his own beat - Tim Britton says that the former Yankee is a bit…eccentric.

Marlin has a blast against Buchholz - The Globe notebook has a look at a tough outing for Buchholz. The Herald Red Sox Notebook has David Ortiz remaining positive after a tough game. Britton’s Red Sox Journal has more on Buchholz getting roughed up.

Menu worth reheat - Ian Rapoport warms up a few Patriots-related nuggets.

Skinner defends himself - Mark Blaudschun has the former BC coach speaking out for the first time since his dismissal following last season.

Sharks to distribute Kathryn Tappen bobblehead dolls tonight - Bill Doyle has the NESN anchor being honored at the Worcester Sharks game tonight.

The Celtics let the Memphis Grizzlies hang around last night, and down the stretch just could not execute on offense, leading to their demise in a 90-87 loss.  A Rajon Rondo floater with plenty of time on the clock and a Glen Davis desperation three-point attempt are not the ideal shots the Celtics were looking for. Get all the coverage at CelticsLinks.com.

I’m short on time this morning, but the big story people are going to be talking about is tonight’s Bruins/Canadiens rematch. It’s an even bigger story in Montreal, where Mike Felger is now public enemy number 2. (Behind Zdeno Chara, of course.) From the Montreal Gazette this morning:

The intro to the segment promised “fact not fiction,” which told me that the guys at 98.5 The Sports Hub don’t understand the concept of sports talk radio. It’s all about opinion. If you don’t have people expressing opinions and debating the news of the day, it makes for boring radio.

Of course, all you have to do is listen to Felger, the village idiot of Boston sports radio, to know that he likes to play fast and loose with the facts.

Of course, I’m positive that Felger is thrilled with this increase exposure, further expanding the “brand.”

In the weeks leading up to this game, ticket prices has spiked, as can be seen in the graphic below.
 

The price has gone up 82% in the last month.

Catch all the Bruins coverage prior to tonight’s game over at BruinsLinks.com.

Here’s a quick five from this morning”

What exactly happened to Josh Beckett, and how he’s going to fix things - Rob Bradford looks at how the Red Sox righty looks to get back on track in 2011.

Raining on Sox’ parade - Michael Silverman searches for some negatives amidst the overwhelming positivity of Red Sox camp.

Minor progress for Gonzalez - Peter Abraham has the first baseman getting some extra work in a AAA game last night.

Fighting chance tonight? - Fluto Shinzawa says that the Canadiens would be wise not to trigger a repeat of the February ninth contest between the clubs.

Jermaine O’Neal’s return on schedule - Mark Murphy has the rehabbing big man set to rejoin the team next week.