Michael Ventre

Much of the NBA scrutiny has been placed on the travails of the Los Angeles Lakers because of their brutal start, although now they’ve won two straight and have given indications that they are not, in reality, purple-and-gold zombies.

But what about the Boston Celtics?

Rajon Rondo is out for the season after tearing an ACL, and that’s horrible. Yet did the Celtics really enter this season with the belief that they could unseat the Miami Heat in the East? Really?

At least in the case of the Lakers, they revamped their roster around Dwight Howard, a relatively young star who still has many years ahead of him. The thought process was that someday the Lakers will not be Kobe Bryant’s team anymore, but rather Howard’s. It’s a transition to a new era.

The Celtics’ approach to the 2012-13 season seemed to be, “Let’s squeeze whatever we can out of the last vestiges of the 2008 championship core, with the addition of a few modest younger pieces,” even if Ray Allen is now in a Miami uniform.

This old chestnut from famed Dodgers executive Branch Rickey has stood the test of time: “Trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late.” The Celtics opted to stick with their duo of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce — with Rondo leading the way at point guard — rather than recognize that it was time to tear it all up and rebuild.

I know it isn’t always that easy. But the Celtics didn’t seem to try, didn’t seem to come to that realization. Now they’re going to have to hope Rondo isn’t out as long as Chicago’s Derrick Rose has been, and they’re going to vie for the No. 8 spot in the East and the privilege of being bounced in the first round by the Heat.

Said Paul Pierce on Sunday after Boston held off Miami in double OT: “We still like our chances in the Eastern Conference.”

Really? I think I’ll go out on a limb and say that his opinion is not shared by many. When it comes to seeing into the future, the Celtics are in the league’s basement, and apparently there’s no light down there.

Strictly business
Most fans and members of the media are what I like to call “fiscal sports conservatives.” That has nothing to do with politics. It is a non-partisan designation, with no connection to the fiscal conservatives you hear about on the news.[E/P]

A fiscal sports conservative is simply a savvy observer of professional sports. Maybe years ago fans and media would clamor for a team to pay a star player at all costs, and when that team failed to open up the checkbook, they roared with displeasure.

That isn’t so anymore. Most people who follow these things have become armchair general managers. They have developed an understanding of how it all works, and how a player should be paid based on his relative value to the team as a whole.

For instance, take Darrelle Revis. He isn’t worth what he’s asking for. He’s certainly one of the best players in the NFL. But he’ll want a contract extension after next season that surpasses what Buffalo gave defensive end Mario Williams last year, which was worth $100 million. Revis is coming off knee surgery, he’ll be 28 in July, and he’ll want the richest contract for a defensive player in NFL history.

It’s just bad business for a team over the salary cap, coming off a 6-10 year, with a new general manager in charge in John Idzik. It has nothing to do with Revis’ ability and everything to do with the Jets making prudent choices for the overall good of the franchise.

That’s why Revis and the Jets need to part ways. It’s unlikely Revis will back away much from his demands. And the Jets can’t afford to keep him on the roster if he doesn’t.

So, what IS next for Dwight Howard?
There still seems to be some uncertainty involving Dwight Howard. But then again, that’s the title of his mission statement. If he were in a stable, secure, comfortable situation, I think his head would explode.

While Howard is pondering his future, he should keep some basic facts in mind:

One, there are no guarantees in life. If he eventually leaves the Lakers via free agency — which is unlikely, given the amount of money he’d be leaving behind — he’ll go to another team with a new set of teammates and issues. Does he think being in Brooklyn would be worry-free? Dallas? Chicago? Boston? No matter where Howard goes, he’ll have to perform up to high expectations, or else he’ll be pilloried.

Two, if he stays with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant will retire in two or three years, and then he can have all the touches he wants.

Three, the only really important basketball goal is winning the championship. And the only real way to do that is to work together as a team, like the Lakers did in victories Friday against Utah and Sunday against OKC. Teamwork is possible in Los Angeles.

Four, if Dwight has ambitions in the entertainment industry, a few of those folks have been known to hobnob at Laker games.

For all the reasons why Howard should stay, there’s still the lingering sense that he isn’t yet convinced. That’s the most perplexing part of the Lakers’ long, strange trip that is the 2012-13 season.

The roar of the Tiger
There were reports recently that Tiger Woods is dating skiing champion Lindsey Vonn. Shortly thereafter, Tiger tore up Torrey Pines. Whether the two news items have anything to do with each other is unclear. Also, I don’t care.

But I do know that the game of golf is infinitely more interesting when Tiger is playing well and winning than when he isn’t.

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images The Week in Sports Pictures The nation grieved for those hurt, killed and affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. After one of the suspects was caught on Friday — following a day-long lockdown and manhunt — sports returned to Boston over the weekend.

Rory McIlroy is a terrific heir apparent, and he’ll win his share of majors before he’s done. Yet he’ll never match Tiger’s magnetism. He’ll never intimidate other golfers like Tiger used to do. He’ll be a pitchman for years, but he won’t have the same impact on Madison Avenue that Tiger has had, partly because Madison Avenue isn’t in Northern Ireland.

It’s late January. The fact that Tiger is coming out of the gates for this upcoming PGA Tour season with confidence and efficiency on the course bodes well for a successful 2013 and a return to prominence.

Does that indicate that all is well, and he’s ready to resume his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus? Only time will tell. Merely the suggestion that such a possibility exists where before Tiger seemed declawed is cause for excitement.

I don’t know if positive developments in his personal life have influenced his golf game, and it’s none of my business. All I know is that when Tiger Woods is in the news for reasons of golf excellence, the game is a heck of a lot more fun to follow.

A game of pepper
A fan who won $75,000 by hitting a half-court shot during a promotion at a Miami Heat game will have to pay almost one-third of that in taxes. If that were me, I’d try to whittle that down by deducting mileage to and from the arena, plus depreciation on my shoes. ...

The X Games are like a snow globe with attitude. ...

The Washington Nationals are adding William Howard Taft — who in his day weighed more than 300 pounds — to their 12-foot presidential mascot races. What better place to celebrate our nation’s rich history of obesity than at an athletic event? ...

Did you see that bat flying around during the Providence-Marquette game? If Syracuse were involved, I bet Jim Boeheim would have stopped it with a zone. ...

In a recent interview, President Obama said that if he had a son he isn’t sure he’d let him play football. It’s hard to imagine the president’s son running with the ball flanked by two Secret Service agents.

Michael Ventre is a regular contributor to NBCSports.com. Follow him on Twitter.