With a healthy Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics would have probably won a second consecutive NBA championship last season.
With Glen “Big Baby” Davis’ improvement and guard Rajon Rondo posting triple double numbers, the Celtics would have been very difficult for the Lakers to beat.
Having that said, health and recovery might have been the biggest priority for Celtics general manager Danny Ainge this offseason.
But he knows depth wins in the NBA, and depth, particularly on the front line, was a major weakness for the Celtics in 2009.
To add to the frontcourt depth, Ainge signed battle tested power forward Rasheed Wallace from Detroit.
Wallace is an experienced player who is a solid defensive and low-post offensive player. He is versatile with the ability to play the power forward and center positions.
His friendship with Kevin Garnett is very strong and he knows he will be on a very intense and passionate team, which suits his playing style perfectly.
To add to the guard depth, Ainge is in the process of adding shooting guard Marquis Daniels from the Indiana Pacers. While the deal has yet to be completed, Daniels would add scoring to the guard rotation that provided little offensive punch in the playoffs from the bench.
The Celtics, like in years past, relied too much on their starters in the playoffs, tiring them, especially throughout two seven game series.
Also, if the Celtics can resign Glen Davis, they will have the best frontcourt in the league. Skilled players who want to play defense, and will sacrifice anything to win.
If the Celtics stay healthy in 2010, they will win their 18 NBA Championship next June.
Nicholas Goss