High hopes for Celtics

The Celtics' recent four-game road trip was an unquestionable success. Even though Doc Rivers and his players profess to be unwavering optimists, none of them imagined a 3-1 finish when the trip started in Salt Lake City last Tuesday. If the Celtics escaped from Los Angeles with a .500 record, the trip would have been a success. After all, they started the journey 12 games below .500, with a total of four road wins all season.

By playing decent enough defense, scoring with greater ease, and receiving significant contributions from players other than Paul Pierce, the Celtics nearly matched that road win total, and they posted other impressive numbers. They averaged 102.8 points per game and shot 49 percent from the field while holding opponents to 98.3 points per game and 44 percent shooting. Those are significantly better numbers than the Celtics' season averages.

Pierce continued to show why he has been the most productive offensive player in the league in February, averaging 31.5 points a game on the trip. Ryan Gomes emerged as a rebounding and scoring threat, setting career highs in both and averaging 10.5 rebounds and 14 points per game. Delonte West recorded a career-high 30 points in the lone loss, at Phoenix, and a career-high 10 assists against the Lakers.

''After we won the first game, I did like our chances," said Rivers. ''I thought we could win in Portland. We had two games to win one and we could be 3-1. You think about this trip and it's always been someone else [stepping up]. That's a good sign of a team."

But what does it mean for the rest of the season? Does the trip mark a turnaround? Are the Celtics looking at the No. 8 seed in the East? Are they finally about to reel off the string of victories Rivers has predicted all season? Will they win three games in a row for the first time this season with the Heat in town Wednesday? Or was the trip just a case of Boston beating two teams it should have (Utah, Portland), then getting lucky against the Lakers when Luke Walton didn't spot a wide-open Lamar Odom on the final possession?

There are, as always, two takes on the current state of the Celtics.

For the optimists: The Celtics have won five of seven games, which constitutes their most consistent stretch of the season. The trip appears to signal that they have finally figured out how to win away from the TD Banknorth Garden. It showed that young players such as Gomes and West are mature enough and talented enough to play significant roles. After initially struggling to integrate Wally Szczerbiak, the Celtics appear to have a better understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses, and of how to play together.

''Guys know what they're supposed to do when they come in," said Pierce. ''Some guys need to go out there and get stops and be defenders. Certain guys are scorers on this team. Some guys are just rebounders. They're finding their niche. That's great, especially to have young players who understand how they have to play in order for us to get better as a team."

While Pierce leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, he describes his role as ''a scorer." He is leading the league in scoring for the month (33.5 points per game), and there is no reason to think he can't keep up the pace.

''I'm in a good groove," said Pierce. ''We simplified the offense. I know we run a lot of things for me. I'm just trying to be responsible, trying to be aggressive every night. Guys are setting me up. We've got a team full of shooters that can help out. When I drive, the lane just opens up. I'm a scorer. That's what I do on this team."

For the pessimist: It all starts and ends with Pierce. Even with complementary players from Szczerbiak to Gomes to West rising to the occasion, if Pierce hits a slump, the Celtics can fall back into disarray just as quickly as they ascended into respectability. Odds are, Pierce cannot keep piling up 30-point-plus games. With Kendrick Perkins and Al Jefferson set to return to the lineup soon, there will be another adjustment period; undoubtedly, team chemistry and the rotation will be thrown out of whack.

The schedule is littered with road games and playoff-bound opponents. It will be tough to play better than .500 ball if they can't find a way to win at least four or five in a row -- and they haven't come close yet. If the Celtics play just .500 the rest of the way and finish the season with a 36-46 record, they will be on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.

''It was a great trip for us," said Rivers. ''If it's a turnaround, I'll take it. But it was a great trip."