Five predictions for the "second half"

Now that the All-Star break has come and gone, it's off to the races.

With 30 games to go and with the trade deadline looming -- 3:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon to be exact -- many wonder what the future has in store for the Boston Celtics. Coach Doc Rivers and President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge have both expressed the need to add bodies, but they also both like this team as currently constructed.

Boston has 5 roster spots open, but they are hard pressed against the cap, so they're limited in what they can do.

Many also don't view the Celtics as a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. Boston is currently sitting in the seventh spot in the East, and if the season ended today they would face off with the New York Knicks.

Will there be a big trade in store?

Will this be the team we see for the remainder of the season?

Here are five predictions for what's to come in the unofficial second half of the season:

1. The Celtics will add Kenyon Martin:
Doc Rivers said in his weekly interview with WEEI on Friday that he and Danny Ainge were basically looking at every person under the sun who can play basketball. However, Rivers said they have particular need. "We need a big," said Rivers. "You're not going to find a center, so a 4. Obviously a 5 would be great, but a 4 that can stretch the floor. Or a 4 that can rebound, just a great rebounding 4 that has skills."

As for Martin, the former number-one-overall pick has averaged 7.1 boards over his 12 year career, so he can help on the glass. Why not?

2. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will remain with the Celtics:
KG made this very clear over the weekend. He will not waive his no trade clause under any circumstance, and he will, "live and die green." So that's that.

Paul Pierce has also expressed his desire to retire as a Celtic. At this point in their careers, the two are more valuable to the Celtics than to any other team. They can still make things interesting come April and May.

3. Jeff Green will become a starter:
Over his last 11 games, Green is averaging 13.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and shooting 51.5% from the floor. Green's improved play has been one of the main reasons Boston has been able to withstand losing three of its top rotation players.

There's no reason to expect a drop off in Green's aggressiveness because the Celtics need him to be so in order to be successful. I have felt all season that Green plays his best when he's alongside Pierce, Garnett and the rest of the starting quintet. Green has seen a lot of time at the end of tight games, which is a testament to the trust that Rivers has gained in him.

There will still be some ups and downs, but as long as he continues to be assertive, Green will continue to prove to people why the Celtics invested so much in him.

4. Boston will finish as the fifth seed:
As of today, the Celtics are three games behind the third-seeded Bulls in the loss column, so technically, the third seed is attainable. However, asking this team to climb four spots in 30 games is a bit much. Asking this team to gain two games in the standings and move up two spots is pretty reasonable.

14 of their next 30 games are against teams with a winning record. However, the Celtics have shown they can beat anyone.

5. The Celtics will advance past the first round:
In the Kevin Garnett era, the Celtics have always advanced past the first round. Even without Garnett in the 2009 playoffs, they still held a 3-2 lead over the Magic in the Eastern Conferenc semi-finals. The point is that the Celtics have been able to carry on without one of their stars in the past, so why should we expect any less? We've seen this team wear their hearts on the sleeves and make the most out of every situation.

Furthermore, the Celtics have proven they can play with anyone in the East, whether it's on the road or at home. They've beaten the Knicks, Heat, Clippers, Nuggets and Bulls without Rajon Rondo, all of whom are top ten teams in the league record wise.

Pierce has said on numerous occasions that he likes Boston's chances and he feels the East is wide open. Garnett said in an interview with Craig Sager during last night's All-Star game that he likes this team a lot. Rivers has echoed this sentiment as well. The bottom line is that the Celtics feel all they need to make another exciting run is already in their locker room, and we've seen time and time again that it's just foolish to ever write off the Celtics.