The busy 2006-2007 new season kicked off as scheduled at the end of October 2006.
The Celtics were severely weakened by the loss of core players He Xi Meng and Yao Ming.
With the departure of Diop and Ariza, the Celtics had effectively lost four starters.
Only Carter remained from the previous season's championship starting lineup!
Coach Kerr, forcing a smile, had to move almost the entire second unit to the first lineup.
Starting center Perkins, starting power forward David Lee, starting small forward Carter, starting shooting guard Tony Allen, and starting point guard Monta Ellis.
In their first game against last season's rivals, the Miami Heat, the Celtics suffered a crushing defeat at home.
Despite Carter's excellent individual performance, his teammates couldn't withstand the Heat's offensive onslaught.
The Heat had multiple scoring threats in Wade, O'Neal, and Antoine Walker.
It was an eerily similar scene to their Eastern Conference Finals matchup last season.
Except now, the two teams had seemingly swapped roles.
Last season, it was the Celtics who dominated with a collective effort, leaving Wade as the Heat's only significant threat.
Now, it was the Heat overwhelming the Celtics with multiple players, with only Carter offering any real resistance.
Carter had experienced his fair share of single-handedly carrying a team during his time with the Raptors.
After finally enjoying a period of multi-star dominance with the Celtics, he unexpectedly found himself having to relive those difficult times so soon.
At the post-game press conference, Carter openly expressed his longing for He Xi Meng and Yao Ming: "Come back soon, the team needs you, and I need you..."
After much anticipation, Carter finally saw Yao Ming return before the 2007 All-Star Weekend.
By this point, the Celtics' record had slipped to sixth in the Eastern Conference.
While the Celtics' rookies showed immense potential, they were still young and inconsistent.
Without He Xi Meng's playmaking and Yao Ming's presence in the paint, the team's performance was erratic, driving Carter almost mad with frustration.
Carter was forced to be a jack-of-all-trades, a situation remarkably similar to Kobe Bryant's circumstances with the Lakers.
However, Kobe had repeatedly stated publicly: "I crave victory, I am tired of endless losses, I have given my all to the team, shouldn't the management do something?"
Meanwhile, Carter's pleas were simpler, repeated calls to: "Come back quickly... I can't bear this alone..."
Under Carter's fervent wishes, Yao Ming finally returned to the court before the All-Star Weekend.
However, the Celtics' misfortune this season was far from over.
To maintain the team's performance, Carter, who had played through pain for half the season, developed a problem with his left knee. Although not severe, it still required about four weeks of rest.
At the same time, Yao Ming had just recovered from his injury, and his playing time was strictly limited to no more than 30 minutes.
Kerr had considered having Yao Ming bypass the transition period and return directly to the starting lineup, but He Xi Meng intervened.
"We absolutely cannot gamble with a player's career! We don't lack championships..."
Helpless, Kerr had to rely heavily on the team's young players.
The youngsters seized their opportunity to play with great effort. Monta Ellis, David Lee, Perkins, Tony Allen, Hu Weidong, and even players from the third unit like Rondo, Lowry, PJ Tucker, and Milsap all gained valuable experience.
However, due to a lack of experience and their tendency to not protect themselves, the Celtics' win rate with a pure rookie lineup was low, while their injury rate remained alarmingly high.
Following Carter, Monta Ellis and Hu Weidong also succumbed to injuries.
Just as Yao Ming returned to the starting lineup, David Lee and Perkins were also forced to rest due to various ailments.
In short, injuries plagued the Celtics throughout the season without respite.
Due to the absence of core players, head coach Kerr was forced to experiment with new players and new lineups and tactics. These new approaches brought about new changes, and these changes led to uncontrollable injuries.
The more injuries, the fewer available players. Overusing key rotation players then led to new injuries...
This created a vicious cycle.
The 2006-2007 Celtics were trapped in this vicious cycle, unable to escape.
Even Michael Jordan, accustomed to seeing victories, began to skip Celtics home games under the guise of work, indicating just how poorly the team was faring this season.
At one point, the Celtics dropped out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference standings, much to the surprise of the entire league.
Fortunately, Yao Ming gradually regained his form and returned to the starting lineup, helping the Celtics stabilize their position. Subsequently, after being sidelined for six weeks and playing two weeks off the bench, Carter also returned to the starting lineup. Through their combined efforts, the Celtics managed a four-game winning streak just before the end of the regular season, breaking through the resistance of the Nets, Pistons, Heat, and Bulls to secure the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and clinch the last playoff spot.
The Pistons could have secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but at the last moment, the cunning coach Sanders handed the victory to the Cavaliers!
The Cavaliers reversed their standings, surpassing the Pistons and clinching the regular season Eastern Conference title!
LeBron James happily led his team in champagne celebrations, only to turn around and see the grim expressions on the faces of head coach Mike Brown and his coaching staff.
James immediately sensed something was wrong and, upon inquiring, confirmed that they would face the defending champions, the Celtics, in the first round of the playoffs!
"Don't worry! So what if they're the defending champions? Aren't they just a depleted team? We beat them three times in the regular season, and we can beat them in the playoffs too!"
To instill confidence in his coaching staff, James thumped his chest vigorously.
"But the problem is, they are no longer depleted."
"What do you mean?"
"He Xi Meng, who was sidelined for over eight months, has announced that he will officially return for the playoffs!"
"Really? So soon?" James was a bit stunned. "Wasn't the prediction that He Xi Meng wouldn't return this season?"
"Who knows! If it's just a rumor, that's great. But if it's true, we need to prepare for a tough battle! We can't afford to be upset by an underdog..."
Who would want to be upset by an underdog?
James had worked so hard to lead his team to the top seed in the East; how could he possibly want to be upset?
"Even you, you won't achieve a miracle at my expense..." James vowed fiercely in his heart.