The fact remains that Doc Rivers has said that the Boston Celtics need more shooters to contend next season. They already have Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. However, after that the shooting situation gets dicey. Jeff Green will probably be back. The hope is Green will be more comfortable and thus be a more consistent shooter with a training camp and last seasons’ valuable experience with the team. The team also hopes to resign one Delonte West. A healthy West also is a great scorer that can stretch the floor. These guys are a nice start, but he team could use another shooter off the bench to make the bench more productive. The Celtics are unfortunately burdened by the salary cap. For the sake of this article, we will assume the new CBA for the NBA will have much of the same rules. This means the team will have to work with the mid level and the bi annual exceptions. This does limit the team’s ability to go after a player. This means the Jamal Crawford to Boston talk must die. However, Danny Ainge does have options. One is quite intriguing. His name is J.R. Smith.
Yes, the same J.R. Smith that has as many mental issues as tattoos is someone that Danny AInge should consider adding to the Boston Celtics. Smith is volatile and can just as easily tear a team apart as he can shoot his team into the game. He has had issues with coaches, teammates, fans, and of course the law. However, as bad as this sounds, it is actually a good thing for AInge. This is why a talented player like Smith might be had for the right bargain price.
Smith is an ultra talented player. He is a shooting machine. When he gets hot, he gets scorching hot. The man can a shoot a team to victory by himself. He has great range as he shot 39 percent from three point range. His mid range shot is great and he can drive to the basket. His defense was considered average, but who in Denver really played defense? In Boston his defense would probably be a lot better. However, does his scoring really make up for all his issues?
The answer is an emphatic YES!!!!! The reason is Boston has a great veteran leadership base with a strong head coach and strong front office. This means problem guys fall into line with he company line of anything to win Banner 18. Stephan Marbury, Rasheed Wallace, Delonte West, and Nate Robinson all were issues in other places. However, they came to Boston and they all were not only solid contributors (Marbury did have a great playoff game against Orlando) and solid citizens. Doc Rivers is a great coach that keeps his players in line. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen are great leaders to keep guys in focus on the task at hand (unless your name is Glen Davis and have serious issues). This means that a guy like J.R. Smith could come in and flourish.
Smith would realize that this is his best shot at a title and sign a short term deal. If he contributed big, he could cash in huge like another great reserve in 08 named James Posey. If Ainge landed this sharp shooter, the bench scoring would be an issue that was a thing of the past. My guess is AInge already knows this and will be in contact with Smith’s agent. Hopefully Ainge gets it done. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!
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