Boston's Push to the Top

Yesterday, the Boston Celtics completed a blockbuster trade that sent the Minnesota Timberwolves Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, two first round draft picks, and cash considerations in exchange for Kevin Garnett. Adding Garnett to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce bring the Celtics from a fringe-playoff team to a franchise ready to compete for the title. All three players are in the prime of their career and are hungry to win a title.

The trade, however, leaves the Celtics with only eight players outside of the superstar threesome. On those eight, three of them, Brandon Wallace, Glen Davis, and Gabe Pruitt are rookies. So, it’s clear that Celtics general manager, Danny Ainge, still has plenty of work to do before the start of the 2007-08 season.

While Garnett, Allen, and Pierce headline the team, the rest of the roster features:

Tony Allen
Allen's career has been filled with injuries and distractions, which last included a torn ACL which forced him to miss 39 games last season. Fortunately, Allen is still young and has shown flashes of great skill on the defensive end. He has a great first step, which allows him to get to the free throw line, but is a poor outside shooter. He also needs to work to limit the amount of turnovers he makes and improve his ballhandling. Allen will play both guard spots and will most likely be looked upon to play strong defense and push the ball up in transition.

Glen Davis
Davis was selected in this year's draft with the thirty-fifth pick overall. He is a skilled big man with a great touch around the basket. For someone of his size, he has great athleticism and a nice feel for the game. Weight has been an issue for Davis throughout his career, and if he can continue to keep it off then it will allow him to have the explosiveness he needs to succeed. Davis will play more minutes than most rookies, and the Celtics will look for him to score off the bench.

Kendrick Perkins
Perkins is a young, developing big man who showed flashes of excellence last year. He is a physical player, who excels at rebounding and is a good outlet passer. Unfortuantely, he has a tendency to foul too frequently and has not developed enough post moves. This season, the Celtics will not be looking for Perkins to score, but cleaning up the glass and defending the post will be vital to their success.

Leon Powe
Like Davis and Perkins, Powe will be looked upon to come off the bench and produce. Powe played well in the last month of the season, where he showed the ability to score in th post and rebound well on the offensive end. Powe excels with both his back-to-the-basket and when he faces up. He has super long arms and a great motor. He is somewhat undersized in the post, which limits what he can do.

Gabe Pruitt
Pruitt is a combination guard with a great jump shot and big-time athleticiscm. He has great range on his three point shot, but is undersized at the shooting guard position. Pruitt will be seen as an energy guy this season for Boston. When he comes in, he will need to take advantage of his shooting ability and explosiveness, and take some of the scoring pressure off of the Celtics stars.

Rajon Rondo
Rondo possesses great quickness and long arms. He has the ability to push the pace on offense, but clearly struggles to shoot from the perimeter. He is a great rebounder for a point guard, but needs more experience before he becomes one of the top guards in the East. If the Celtics do not bring in a point guard to compete with Rondo for the starting spot, his success may determine how far his team goes in the playoffs. If he can take care of the ball well and defend the opponents point guard well, the Celtics will be able to compete for the title.

Brian Scalabrine
Scalabrine is a strong defensive player with very limited ability on offense. He has good size and strength, but lacks any post game and cannot create on his own. If injuries occur to Allen or Pierce, Scalabrine may be asked to step in and defend the opponent's best player. Otherwise, Scalabrine's role should be limited this season for the Celtics.

Brandon Wallace
Wallace is a strong defensive player, who blocks shots well. Wallace was undrafted out of South Carolina, but won a spot with the team after playing in Las Vegas for the Celtics. Wallace will be an end-of-the-bench guy this year, but may play a role down the line in Boston.

So with that being said, Ainge still has several key spots on his roster to fill. He certainly needs a point guard to compete with Rondo for the starting role. More likely, the point guard that Ainge brings in will come off the bench for the Celtics, but will play down the stretch. They need a veteran point guard, who has been their before. Some options here are Earl Boykins, Brevin Knight, Troy Hudson, and Charlie Bell. Bell is the best fit of the four guys here, but he is a restricted free agent. The Bucks would like to bring Bell back to play behind Mo Williams. Therefore, I think Brevin Knight will fill the spot for Ainge and the Celtics.

Next, the Celtics need to sign a veteran backup center to play behind Perkins. Ideally, Perkins is limited to playing 25 minutes per night. So, the Celtics need a guy who will be ready to play nearly 20 minutes each game. Dikembe Mutombo, Michael Ruffin, Calvin Booth, Scot Pollard, Anderson Varejo, Chris Webber, and P.J. Brown are the best available free agents to fill this spot. Varejo and Webber will most likely resign with their previous teams. Mutombo, Ruffin, Booth, and Pollard are probably too limited to player close to 20 minutes a night. So, P.J. Brown is the choice to fill this spot.

The last remaining position to fill is a guy who can play small forward or power forward. Andray Blatche, Corliss Williamson, and James Posey are the top remaining players who could fill this role. Posey is the most logical spot to backup Pierce. Posey is a strong defensive player, who would be strong off the bench for the Celtics.

With a full, defensive-minded roster of players around Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, the Celtics should be able to compete for the title. Fielding Rondo and Knight at point guard; Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and Pruitt at shooting guard; Pierce, Posey, Scalabarine, and Wallace at small forward; Garnett, Powe, and Davis at power forward; and Perkins and Brown at center, the Celtics will be as strong as any team in the East, barring any major injuries.