January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire

What an interesting concept. Should the Celtics really consider making a trade with one of their division foes? Well I think so.

OK, so I think we all know the Celtics are not up to par with their expectations as being a title contender. Right now they are on pace to be the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference and in that case they would likely to have face the Miami Heat in the first round. Let me be the first to say, the Celtics have no shot against the Heat if they continue to play at the level they are playing at.

Yes, Avery Bradley just came back, but how is he going to help a team who is 21st in points per game. He is not a scorer and the Celtics already have a good defense with or without him. In a reversal of their gamestyle, I think the Celtics should make a move for a scoring big man.

The Celtics have been well-documented this year for having a lack of big men. Garnett hasn’t been playing at a high level. Bass and Sullinger have played well but their ceiling is not that high this year and they are undersized.

What Amare Stoudemire does for the Celtics is give them a scoring option alongside Paul Pierce and gives Rondo a valuable pick and roll player. Amare may not be as explosive as he was a few years ago, but he is definitely more athletic than a majority of today’s power forwards and centers.

In his three games with the Knicks so far in the season, he’s played roughly close to 18 minutes averaging nine points a game. For any modern NBA fan, the stats clearly don’t fit the $20 million he is owed every year. However, STAT has posted over 21 points over his career and at the peak of his performance can easily get you double digit rebounds per game.

The Celtics have struggled rebounding the ball as they are dead last in the league in rebounds per game. Kevin Garnett, their leading rebounder, only averages seven rebounds per game. Amare gives the Celtics a legitimate rebounder.

The Knicks have shown they don’t need Amare Stoudemire by their recent play. It’s also evident that Amare and Carmelo simply can not play well with each other on the court. They both are scorers and need the ball in their hands to be effective. Also, their deficiencies on defense only hurts the Knicks when they play alongside each other, as teams with two great front court players can easily dominate the two on offense. The Knicks need to make a move when they can. So why not now?

The Celtics would be a good fit as they need a experienced big men in the middle and someone that can be a focal point with the Celtics when Garnett and Pierce leave. Stoudemire is only 30 years old and has a mid range shot that can be devastating even in the latter stages of his career when he starts to lose his athleticism. Stoudemire is easily an upgrade over Brandon Bass and Jared Sullinger, and gives the Celtics a much better team on paper. If Stoudemire puts up better numbers in the next few games, I see no reason why the Celtics shouldn’t at least consider calling the Knicks’ front office on a potential deal.

Nov 28, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden has quickly become one of the best scorers in the league after a few short seasons. He was once the third option for the Thunder team who played him off the bench. However now, he has become the face of the Houston Rockets’ franchise. Harden wants to play for a competing team but he knows he will need other superstar talent alongside of him to compete against teams like the Heat, Knicks, Lakers, Nets, and even his old team, the Thunder. Yes, he might have Linsanity. He also has the amazing Omer Asik on his team, however by no means is his current team a championship team.

Harden has come out to the media, and said that this team needs to make improvements whether it is midway into the season or in the upcoming summer to help get another all star caliber player to pair alongside the bearded wonder. Even though, Harden is quite correct on his assumption, he is still fully committed to the organization and feels like his current team is heading into the right direction and has pieces for the Rockets to build on in the future. To develop more onto the possibilities, I know five great players in the league right now that can immediately help the Rockets and James Harden compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Nov 30, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks small forward Josh Smith (5) drives to the baseline past Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Alonzo Gee (33) in the second half at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers won 113-111. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

1. Josh Smith

I personally think that all of my five players, this one might make the most logistical sense for the Rocket’s organization to make a move for. Smith is only 27 and has raw talent that far exceeds 99% of the league. J-Smooth has an explosive burst, speed, leaping ability. He’s an unpolished version of LeBron James to me with the lack of intangibles and leadership qualities.

What Smith could ultimately provide the Rockets with is his scoring ability. The forward can easily put up 16+ points and can dramatically help the Rockets in their full court offense. Smith and Harden can effectively work with a pick and roll, something in which J-Smooth is superior at.

Josh Smith will be a free agent after this year and it’s pretty evident that his career in Atlanta is over. GM Danny Ferry is looking to rebuild around a team with Jeff Teague and Al Horford. Smith has looked to covet the opportunity of competing for a championship. So why not join James Harden, a top-ten scorer in the league and a great coach in Kevin McHale.

2. Andrea Bargnani

Andrea Bargnani has long been a forgotten name around the NBA circle ever since he was drafted number one overall in 2006. The dude can flat out score. He’s the closest thing to Dirk Nowitzki in the league. I know I’m going to get some hate after that statement, however its hard to deny that. Bargnani can light up the scoreboard with his great perimeter shooting ability and overall technical play.

The Rockets would tremendously need that especially when Harden has off-nights. Its good to know that there is a capable second scoring option behind Harden. Bargnani is also a tall body that can get you some rebounds and maybe get you a block a night. He would be a good fit alongside Omer Asik.

Bargnani doesn’t have the star quality that others on my list have, but that makes him very valuable. Bargnani will clearly not demand as much money as the others and he is a good glove fit for the Rocket’s offense who seem to reliant on James Harden.

3. Brandon Jennings

The curious thing about Jennings is that he might be too much like James Harden. Both Harden and Jennings have capable point guard abilities whether its their elite ball handling and their above average passing, both can definitely handle the ball. Their biggest likeness is their willingness to shoot the ball and the long ball especially. Both can light it up from outside and aren’t shy from driving to the basket.

So the obvious and ignorant answer to this duo might be it’ll never work. However, I don’t think that’s the case. I think Jennings and Harden can work well of each other and develop a new style of basketball with a fast break and full court offensive team.

Well, what about Jeremy Lin. The Rockets would likely trade him. Lin brings in tremendous hype and money to teams that have him. It’ll be relatively easy to trade him to a team looking to get the additional attention.

Jennings had great raw talent and even more has room to grow and to ultimately become one of the league’s best point guard. Jennings needs some guidance and with Coach McHale and the winning nature in which Harden was brought up on, Jennings could see his production skyrocket.

Dec. 9, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

4. Amaré Stoudemire

Well wouldn’t this be interesting. Amaré Stoudemire in my mind still has tremendous talent, no matter how much the haters feel like he doesn’t. Stoudemire still can make his mid range jump-shot and is devastating in the pick and roll/screen game. It would be very fun to see Harden and Stoudemire working on the screen and roll and it could really make defenses collapse. What Stoudemire brings is his pedigree and even with his many surgeries and health concerns, his excellent athleticism and conditioning.

The Knicks have shown they don’t need Stoudemire to be competitive and they play better because they already have that go-to offensive player in Carmelo Anthony. What separates Harden from Melo is his willingness to pass the ball. When Stoudemire has a great passer on his team, its proven that he plays at an extremely high level and is one of the league’s best big men.

What the Rockets get is a man to fill up the essentially weak power forward position. They have the cap room to make it happen and enough prospects to persuade the Knicks to make a deal. Could it be possible for a Lin-Stoudemire re-union. Only time will tell.

5. Pau Gasol

The one player that has been on the Rocket’s radar the last couple of months has been Pau Gasol. Gasol has essentially worn out his welcome in Los Angeles, and the once favorite Los Angeles Lakers are below .500 and are looking to make a move. Gasol has been the scapegoat for their lack of wins, so its almost predictable that Gasol will be moved.

Why not Houston? Coach Kevin McHale has long been known as one of the best offensive big men in the league, so why not trade for Gasol, who is one of the best players in the paint. Gasol would gain a lot from the former Celtics great, and he would easily maximize his potential in Houston.

Harden would be effective having an inside presence in the middle to allow him to have enough space to shoot his long range jump-shots. Gasol and Omer Asik would make a formidable duo in the middle to counter the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, and Dallas Mavericks big men.

If I was part of the Rocket’s management, I would have the Lakers on speed dial, and ask about making  a trade for the Spaniard.

Doc Rivers summed up the series best: “Give [the Knicks] credit. No. 1 they had one of their best players who’s not 100 percent. Obviously we didn’t feel bad about that. But we didn’t play well in the first two games. We were fortunate to win both of them. But we did play well in Game 3 and played well in Game 4…what you saw tonight was a microcosm of our season at times. We’re playing well, we’re playing well, and all of a sudden we go away from it for a while. Today we got it back just in time.”

The Celtics struggled with a bench that was sluggish and/or completely absent in games 1 and 2. Although, the bench was largely absent at times, the ups and downs of the series seemed to tie into how well the bench was playing at any given moment. When the bench contributed, the Celtics held big leagues and when they didn’t, the leads disappeared. The Celtics need for their bench to improve on a game by game basis if they expect to go deep into the playoffs. On paper, the starting five can beat anyone in the league and at times can mount a double digit lead only to see it disappear whilst they are on the bench giving up minutes to the second and third units.

The Celtics are in perfect position leading into the second round with a week off in between games. The Celtics need to play the minimum amount of games possible as they march onto the finals as they cannot afford to add any extra miles to such a veteran laden club.

Kevin Garnett led the C’s with 26 points and 10 rebounds and was dominant on both ends of the floor at times playing against an injured Amar’s Stoudemire. Stoudemire tried his best to will the Knicks onto victory, but could not overcome the back injury suffered in warmups prior to game 2. NBA fans should respect the effort as he could have easily packed it in for season.

Rajon Rondo continues to be one of the most unguardable players in the NBA killing the Knicks on the floor scoring at will and setting up his teammates for easy buckets. Rondo’s success should be measured by his trips to the line as this shows the magnitude of Rondo’s impact on the game. Rondo is at his best when he is attacking the basket. A timid/pass first Rajon Rondo makes him less effective and teams  pick up on this effectively taking him out of the game.

All in all, this was a great team effort. The Celtics took care of business and let’s be honest they needed to be tested in this series in order to see how they would react. I’d feel less confident if they blew the Knicks out by 30 in 4 straight. We sit here waiting for round 2 knowing the team has some fight left in them and will do whatever it takes to win the games that matter most.

Thanks for reading and GO 76ERS!!!!!