Just Add 1

[guava_wrench]

Will Solomon.

Oh, my bad. I didn't notice the no superstars rule.

[Beat LA]

Jermaine O'Neal, but only for 1-2 years.  Allows us to trade Perk, who won't get any better than he is right now (appears to be a poor man's version of Rick Mahorn, only dumber and with less offense, imo), and Baby for a future first round pick that hopefully ends up in the top five (ala Gerald Henderson for Len Bias) to keep the success going long term.

In addition, JO is a big time shot blocker and defender, likes to play in the low post (http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/fran_blinebury/02/17/jermaine.oneal.feature/), doesn't need many minutes or shots to be effective (just look at his stats for this season: 28.7 minutes per game, 10.7 shots per game, 53.3 fg%, 1.4 blocks per game, 13.8 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game), wants to sign with a contender in the offseason (http://www.indystar.com/article/20100403/SPORTS04/4030341/1088/SPORTS04/O-Neal-considers-his-next-last-move), can pass, and allows us to attack the centers of Cleveland, Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Chicago, etc.

All that's left to do is draft well and play the pick(s), rid ourselves of Tony Allen (god I hate that guy) and Scal (nice guy, but a joke), and acquire Jerry Stackhouse, Raja Bell, Jamaal Tinsley or another veteran point guard BEFORE the season, Jeff Foster, and a power forward (either through the draft or trade/free agency: Omar Samhan, Kenneth Faried, Joe Smith, anyone).

We'd have the best starting five and bench in the game:

Center: JO (26-28 minutes per game)
Power Forward: Kg (28-30 minutes per game)
Small Forward: Paul Pierce (30-34 minutes per game)
Shooting Guard: Ray Allen (28-32) minutes per game)
Point Guard: Rajon Rondo (36 minutes per game)

Bench
Sheed, Foster, Stackhouse, Bell, veteran point guard, draft pick(s).
 
Hey, I can dream.

[guava_wrench]

Jermaine O'Neal, but only for 1-2 years.  Allows us to trade Perk, who won't get any better than he is right now (appears to be a poor man's version of Rick Mahorn, only dumber and with less offense, imo), and Baby for a future first round pick that hopefully ends up in the top five (ala Gerald Henderson for Len Bias) to keep the success going long term.

In addition, JO is a big time shot blocker and defender, likes to play in the low post (http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/fran_blinebury/02/17/jermaine.oneal.feature/), doesn't need many minutes or shots to be effective (just look at his stats for this season: 28.7 minutes per game, 10.7 shots per game, 53.3 fg%, 1.4 blocks per game, 13.8 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game), wants to sign with a contender in the offseason (http://www.indystar.com/article/20100403/SPORTS04/4030341/1088/SPORTS04/O-Neal-considers-his-next-last-move), can pass, and allows us to attack the centers of Cleveland, Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Chicago, etc.

All that's left to do is draft well and play the pick(s), rid ourselves of Tony Allen (god I hate that guy) and Scal (nice guy, but a joke), and acquire Jerry Stackhouse, Raja Bell, Jamaal Tinsley or another veteran point guard BEFORE the season, Jeff Foster, and a power forward (either through the draft or trade/free agency: Omar Samhan, Kenneth Faried, Joe Smith, anyone).

We'd have the best starting five and bench in the game:

Center: JO (26-28 minutes per game)
Power Forward: Kg (28-30 minutes per game)
Small Forward: Paul Pierce (30-34 minutes per game)
Shooting Guard: Ray Allen (28-32) minutes per game)
Point Guard: Rajon Rondo (36 minutes per game)

Bench
Sheed, Foster, Stackhouse, Bell, veteran point guard, draft pick(s).
 
Hey, I can dream.

Then all we need is a time machine to travel to when all those guys were good.

[gpap]

Jermaine O'Neal, but only for 1-2 years.  Allows us to trade Perk, who won't get any better than he is right now (appears to be a poor man's version of Rick Mahorn, only dumber and with less offense, imo), and Baby for a future first round pick that hopefully ends up in the top five (ala Gerald Henderson for Len Bias) to keep the success going long term.

In addition, JO is a big time shot blocker and defender, likes to play in the low post (http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/fran_blinebury/02/17/jermaine.oneal.feature/), doesn't need many minutes or shots to be effective (just look at his stats for this season: 28.7 minutes per game, 10.7 shots per game, 53.3 fg%, 1.4 blocks per game, 13.8 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game), wants to sign with a contender in the offseason (http://www.indystar.com/article/20100403/SPORTS04/4030341/1088/SPORTS04/O-Neal-considers-his-next-last-move), can pass, and allows us to attack the centers of Cleveland, Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Chicago, etc.

All that's left to do is draft well and play the pick(s), rid ourselves of Tony Allen (god I hate that guy) and Scal (nice guy, but a joke), and acquire Jerry Stackhouse, Raja Bell, Jamaal Tinsley or another veteran point guard BEFORE the season, Jeff Foster, and a power forward (either through the draft or trade/free agency: Omar Samhan, Kenneth Faried, Joe Smith, anyone).

We'd have the best starting five and bench in the game:

Center: JO (26-28 minutes per game)
Power Forward: Kg (28-30 minutes per game)
Small Forward: Paul Pierce (30-34 minutes per game)
Shooting Guard: Ray Allen (28-32) minutes per game)
Point Guard: Rajon Rondo (36 minutes per game)

Bench
Sheed, Foster, Stackhouse, Bell, veteran point guard, draft pick(s).
 
Hey, I can dream.

I wouldn't mind Jermaine either. I think he'd play well with KG, Pierce, Rondo, Ray and Sheed. Always been a Jermaine fan though I worry a bit about his injury history. That said, I'd sign him.

Oh, I also forgot about Ron Artest.
He may be a punk but seems to make teams he's on tougher and better(see Houston and LA.) He could be a real difference maker on the Celtics.

[Who]

I don't think the Celtics create enough easy shot attempts close to the rim for Jermaine O'Neal.

He needs his teammates to create his shot attempts at this stage in his career in order to be efficient. When he doesn't have that (1) ball movement becomes stagnant on post ups [like Perk], and, (2) he is inefficient on his shots out of the post [unlike Perk].

I don't think he adds anything defensively either. He is fairly close to average defensively at this stage in this stage of his career and is an inconsistent rebounder to boot.

[snively]

Jonas Jerebko.

Great transition player, good rebounder, tough guy, solid defender, can sort of spread the floor, excellent as a small-ball 4 in pairing with Rondo.

[jr_3421]

Carl Landry. Perfect off the bench big.

[mgent]

Leon Powe.  If only we had faith.

[wdleehi]

OJ Mayo.  He would be the shooter that replaces Ray and would thrive off Rondo's shot creation.


Blake Griffin.  KG replacement while he learns the NBA behind KG.

[Beat LA]

In no way am I overlooking JO's injury history, although he has stayed healthy for the majority of this season.  I just feel that we need five offensive threats on the floor at the same time, especially given the age of our core players.  Also, earlier in the year when the Heat and Cavs played (you can watch it on YouTube), O'Neal scored 14 points in the first quarter - I've never seen Perk do that, although I understand that that is not his role.

I would also offer this suggestion to our team: if the Celtics would simply play an intelligent game of matchups (creating and exploiting mismatches) like the Celtics of the 80s, the age of our roster would be irrelevant, because every team in the league, including us, plays Detroit Piston Basketball from the Bad Boys era, which I am not fond of and do not regard as true basketball. 

Just compare the teams:

The staples of the Pistons' success were of course 48 minutes of defense, offensive rebounding, guard play, and of course, the pick and roll play on offense.

The staples of our success are 48 minutes of defense and our heavy reliance upon the pick and roll.

Players today just don't have the brains or skills like the players from years ago, and thus fail to understand the concept of matchups (like when we play the Lakers and Kobe guards Rondo and Fisher guards Ray, Ray should take Fisher in the post every single time.  Frustrates the hell out of me).  All they do is play pick and roll basketball until they're blue in the face.  I understand why they use the pick and roll, but it's boring, and only involves two players, not five.  Every team nowadays sees playing defense as the only way to win - and don't get me wrong, defense is important (I used to love playing defense more than anyone in basketball and soccer, although I was the worst player on the teams, imo.  However, after watching the Celtics play defense all the time and hearing the players, coaches, and analysts  :: talk about nothing but defense 24/7, even I am getting tired of it.), but you also have to be able to score.  I also think that this team, with our age, should pick our spots to play defense. 

I'm going off on a tangent, so I'll sign off with the following:

1.  Every player talks about the need to improve his team defense.  Whatever happened to team offense.

2.  Thought of a veteran point guard we could get - Rafer Alston.

3.  Enough of this playing like the Pistons crap, play like the Celtics for crying out loud.

[rav123]

Mike Miller. Backs up both the 2 and 3. Can shoot and pass, and will give you decent team defense. Also has a good attitude and temperament.

[Mike-Dub]

OJ Mayo.  He would be the shooter that replaces Ray and would thrive off Rondo's shot creation.


Blake Griffin.  KG replacement while he learns the NBA behind KG.

Would absolutely love for the C's to have those two.  Hopefully Griffin would be healthy though.

[PosImpos]

Bottom line the C's just need somebody who can reliably score inside.  Nobody on the roster can do that consistently.

[barefacedmonk]

Bottom line the C's just need somebody who can reliably score inside.  Nobody on the roster can do that consistently.

Rasheed Wallace is capable of doing that....but who will tell him that?

[Bahku]

Bottom line the C's just need somebody who can reliably score inside.  Nobody on the roster can do that consistently.

Rasheed Wallace is capable of doing that....but who will tell him that?

That's the sad thing ... it's probably the best part of his game, and if he committed to it, he could increase his numbers like crazy ... but he just will NOT commit to playing that way, and while everyone thinks he's being picked on when someone says it, he really is just lazy, and would rather not put the extra work into it that playing the post requires.