Boston Digs for Gems on the Waiver Wire

As the Boston Celtics gear up for a playoff run, the focus of the NBA has shifted from the C’s blisteringly hot start, to the varying degrees of roster tweaks (and overhauls) by the other elite teams in the league. And as teams like the Lakers, Suns, Mavs, and Cavs spend the next two months conducting team chemistry experiments, Celtics GM Danny Ainge will be scanning the waiver wire for impact players at NBA minimum prices.

Presently, the Celtics have to feel good about their current roster. They have 2 dynamic playmakers in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, and an outside shooter in Ray Allen who has mastered every facet of long range shooting. Because Allen is equally adept at the catch and shoot, as well as creating his own shot, teams can’t collapse on Pierce and Garnett, who abuses defenses when guarded one on one.

And while it was easy to assume that the Celtics had the best 3-man combination in the league before the start of the season, NBA analysts did not predict the emergence of the young guys on the Boston roster, who have played well enough to carry the load while the “Boston three party” saves its energy for the playoffs. Rajon Rondo is averaging 11 ppg while guarding the other team’s quickest player and James Posey is shooting almost 40% from beyond the arc. But after Cleveland and Detroit have made trades to upgrade their respective rosters, the Celtics may be in need of another player to help push them over the top.

The glaring hole in the Celtics lineup before the season was the point guard spot, which has been mostly filled by Rajon Rondo’s tenacious on ball defense and superb quickness. But Rondo is only in his second season, and has never played in a playoff game. So handing the ball to such an untested field general appears to be a large risk for the Celtics. Rumors have Sam Cassell eventually signing with Boston before the end of the year, but until the Clippers PG is wearing a green and white uniform, the Celtics have to at least consider other directions.

But if there is room for Cassell, there could be room on the Celtics roster for recently waived SG Brent Barry. Even though his best days are behind him, there aren't a ton of guys who are as versatile as Barry. The guy has a quick release on his jumper, good ball handling skills, is a smart defender, and at one point in the early 1870s, could dunk from the free throw line. Plus he was on the Spurs for a few years, so if he’s good enough to play a role on the Spurs, he's clearly a professional with good team chemistry skills. And isn't a stable backcourt presence exactly what the Celtics would be looking for as a backup to the young and rising Rajon Rondo?

Another possible roster move could be for the Celtics to add another big man. It was a lot harder to tell how finished Scot Pollard was last year when he was buried behind four big men on the Cleveland Cavs. But Pollard's best days are six years behind him in a Sacramento Kings uniform. And it’s plain to see that the spry legs and hustle that he sported as a hustle big man against a 2002 in-shape Shaquille O'Neal, have long since retired to the west coast. So it’s possible that a guy like Jamaal Magloire could feel motivated enough to play well in the Celtics front line. With the constant hustle that is needed to play as a center or power forward in the NBA, it’s easy to find underachieving big guys warming the bench on teams across the league. And remember that Magloire is only 29, and somehow made an All-Star team less than five years ago. So if the 6’11” center out of Kentucky has any juice left, Kevin Garnett is one of the few motivators who can squeeze it out.

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It’s entirely possible that even without any additions, Boston could vanquish the inferior Eastern Conference and still have enough energy to knock off a worn-down Western Conference champion. But the playoffs are still a gray area since this team’s foundation has been together for less time than any of the other contenders. And as far as matchups are concerned, I’m sure Danny Ainge would feel more comfortable with another big man who can keep opposing defenses from double teaming Garnett, along with a steady hand in the backcourt, in case Rondo gets in over his head.

Since the Celtics performed their major roster shakeup in the offseason, they had the luxury to sit back during the trade deadline. But the Cavs and the Pistons are both better now than they were when Boston built their commanding Eastern Conference lead. And it may take one more savvy move by Ainge to ensure another championship banner is hanging in the Fleet Center rafters next season.

by Michael Glauser
Pro Basketball Fans Staff Writer

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