Sep 28, 2012; Waltham, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry (4) poses for a photo during media day at the Celtics training facility. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

Jason Terry has made it clear from day one that he is not Ray Allen and he’s not his replacement.

Terry has a different game style than Allen, and while both are primarily perimeter shooters, they are completely different from one another. I could make a list on how different these two players are and why one player may be a better fit than the other, but for Celtics fans, that base has already been covered in August and September.

In the championship season of 2008, James Posey was an important piece to the team. He had a championship pedigree, was an influential, inspirational, and motivational leader, and his role for the Celtics was a lot bigger than being the sixth man. But during the offseason of 2008, Posey opted out of his contract and signed with the New Orleans Hornets. From that day forward, the Celtics never fully recovered.

If you could ask many fans, they’d say that if Posey had stayed, banner 18 might be hanging in the rafters.

Dec 19, 2010; Boston, MA, USA; Indiana Pacers forward James Posey (41) shoots the ball during the second half against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

To me, Jason Terry can be that player who replaces Posey. Now, you can tell me that they play completely different and that maybe the circumstances aren’t the same, but they are both leaders who know how to win. The Celtics have missed that leadership presence off the bench, and Jason Terry has already assumed that role by taking some of the younger players under his wing.

Like most championship teams, there has to be more than one leader. In 2008, there was a group of leaders who brought their own individual talents and wisdom which bettered the team as they moved forward throughout the season. This year there is Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Jason Terry. With their championship experience, the challenges Boston faces this year may be overcome easier than in the last few seasons.

Banner 17 came as a result of several great acquisitions in the 2007 offseason. General Manager, Danny Ainge, first traded for Ray Allen on draft night. A month later he landed Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ainge would then sign several key free agents: Eddie House, James Posey, P.J. Brown, all of whom played large parts in the Celtics’ success that year.

There is one arrival that season that is often overlooked, and perhaps the most vital addition of the year. That year Ubuntu was introduced into the locker room by Doc Rivers. Some of you may be unfamiliar with Ubuntu. What is it you ask?

Ubuntu is an African philosophy in which the individual sacrifices for the greater good of the group. In other words, it’s teamwork. Not that groundbreaking of an idea right? Well if you watch enough NBA basketball, you know that teamwork is a lot harder to find than it seems, and if you watched that Celtics’ championship run then you understand there was something special with that team. Rivers stressed the importance of coming together as one. It began with training camp it Italy, and transcended into an entire season.

The Celtics truly cared about one another that year and the team concept, allowing them to overcome individually led teams like the Lakers and Cavaliers. In the tunnel before games, the Celtics would end the pre-game rallying cry with “One, Two, Three, Ubuntu” and it was on display every night.

Posey and House would put their bodies on the line, consistently diving for loose balls or taking charges. Paul Pierce, Garnett, and Allen all saw their individual statistics decrease while the number of wins grew. They simply did it together, winning 66 regular season games which ultimately culminated in championship glory.

Ubuntu seemed to disappear for a few years before returning to full strength last season. An undermanned Celtics’ squad nearly managed to take down the now NBA champion, Miami Heat. Keyon Dooling, Ryan Hollins, Marquis Daniels and Greg Stiemsma embraced their roles off the bench, and the Celtics’ sideline actions could be showcased at a cheer-leading clinic.

Despite Garnett’s detest for playing the center position, he moved to the five spot because that is what was best for the team. Avery Bradley risked his future career by playing through constant shoulder injuries, at times having to pop his dislocated shoulder back into place during games. Things weren’t perfect though. Rondo and Allen are known to have butted heads on numerous occasions last season.

Now the newest edition of the Boston Celtics will need to learn the importance of Ubuntu. Catalysts Garnett and Pierce remain to teach the newest members the way, and several returning players bring continuity. Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Jared Sullinger and others all seem ready and willing to embrace Ubuntu.

The talent is undoubtedly there for the Celtics to make a run and while great teamwork  doesn’t assure a championship, without it, winning a title is near impossible.

So with that said, “CELTICS…HOORAH..CELTICS…HOORAH, One, Two, Three…UBUNTU.”

The NBA trade deadline is a mere hours away and the Celtics have yet to pull the trigger on any one of the hundreds of rumors flying through the interwebs. With the roster already at 15 players, Celtic president Danny Ainge has very little to work with heading into the deadline.

Tradeable Chips: Avery Bradley, Von Wafer, Marquis Daniels, Semih Erden, Nate Robinson and draft picks.

Bradley has the most potential, but Ainge would need to be willing to mortgage the future to fix the present. Erden is short money (500K next season) but will not command a lot in return. Wafer and Daniels offer the NBA gold of expiring contracts, but there is a downside attached. Wafer does not make enough money to provide a decent return and Daniels has the right to veto any trade due to his early “Bird Rights” having signed a second consecutive one year deal with the Celtics. Nate Robinson is owed 4.5 mil next season and could be used as leverage to take on an even bigger contract in return. The Celtics have their first rounds picks to offer as well, but with the Celtics likely no where near the lottery, they would be of little interest to opposing GM’s.

Needs: Small Forward and general bench depth.

Rumors:

Nate Robinson: will/will not be traded to the Golden State Warriors. Almost as quickly as we heard about this one, it quickly went away. The Celtics need a small forward and could use Nate Robinson to obtain one or clear the way to obtain one via buyout once the trade deadline passes.

Rasheed Wallace: the long standing rumor is that Sheed would join the C’s after the trade deadline passes. With Semih Erden now forced into the starting lineup, signing Rasheed Wallace does not seem like such a bad idea.

Shane Battier: Battier has over 7 mil in contract remaining and it will most likely take both Nate Robinson and Marquis Daniels to make the trade work from a money standpoint. At this point, what do you really gain. Odds are, Battier will be available in a few days via a buyout.

Anthony Parker: The Cavs have been rumored to be in search for a “quality draft pick” in return for Parker. With the C’s looking to draft possibly from #28 on, the draft pick option is out of the question. The only other conciviable option would be Avery Bradley. With an enticing Rondo, Bradley backcourt combo for the future, the C’s would be hard pressed to swap Bradley for a rental player.

Grant Hill: A deal for Hill would make sense for the right price. Hill has an expiring contract, but it will take the combination of Daniels along with either Bradley, Haragody and Erden to make it happen.

Clearing the way for a Buyout.

A host of quality NBA players are rumored to be available in a few days as teams buy out the remaining money on their contracts. Players such as, Richard Hamilton, Troy Murphy, James Posey, Tayshaun Prince, Rasaul Butler and Jason Kapono could be looking for work and the Celtics offer a preferred destination for players looking to make a run at a title. The downside is that the Celtics need to let someone go in order to make this happen. They may not make a blockbuster deal before the deadline, but they may make a player for picks trade or a 2 for 1 deal just to get the roster below 15 in order to accommodate a new acquisition.