May 10, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) attacks the basket during the second quarter of game six in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

The Celtics are in desperate need of Josh Smith’s services. They’ve been missing their defensive edge all season long. With Avery Bradley out, they’re struggling more than they ever have.

Right now, Boston is allowing 106 points per 100 possessions. That’s easily the most through any period that Kevin Garnett has played for this team.

The bottom line is that the Celtics are becoming a more guard oriented team and playing smaller with Garnett at the center position. They’re being demolished in the paint night in and night out. We see this with the other teams that are small like the Knicks and the Heat–the only difference is their offenses are more polished than Boston’s.

Enter Josh Smith, the forward hybrid out of Atlanta. Smith would work wonders for Boston even if only on the defensive end of the floor. Right now, Smith hasn’t had a healthy start to the season. He’s struggling with an ankle issue that has been nagging him throughout the season.

However, on the defensive end Smith is still destroying the opposition. He’s only allowing 96 points per possession which ties a career best for him. He’s excellent at defending the pick and roll–something that the Celtics have been awful at all season–and he’s a great ball pressure guy.

On the offensive end, Smith is a guy who can get up and down the floor and finish at the rim. That’s something that Boston is really lacking. If Boston were to acquire Smith, they’d be able to push the pace on the floor more. I think that’s when Boston is at their best–in transition.

Smith is a good rim runner as well. His inside finishing ability collapses the defense during fastbreak opportunities and allows open shots for the wings beyond the arch.

Anytime you have someone available that led the league in defensive win shares,  you have to attack it. Especially when your team is struggling to defend as it is. Smith gives you someone who can defend on the perimeter or in the paint. That’s something that Boston desperately needs right now.

Rivers says that his main focus is catching up to the Miami Heat. Josh Smith will instantly provide the Celtics with a boost in that case. LeBron will be playing the power forward position primarily this year. I’m 200% sure that James will tear Brandon Bass to shreds if he has to guard him. Smith will do wonders for Boston when they need to guard James. He has the footspeed to keep up and the length to recover when beat off of the dribble. That’s something that Bass lacks and Boston needs.

As the NBA evolves into a hybrid league, the Celtics have the opportunity to snatch a very good hybrid player in a contract year. That’s an opportunity you can’t pass up at the end of the day. Hopefully Boston makes the right decision.

Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. The first major in-season Rondo trade rumor got off to an impressive start this week when word got out of a potential Rajon Rondo for Pau Gasol swap.

While the move does and does not make a ton of sense, it sure did spark some heated debate from both sides.

Danny Ainge denied any such rumors during his regular stint on WEEI this week and we’d expect nothing less. Sure, we’d love for him to get on the radio and tell us the ins and outs of every move he is considering, but that is just not going to happen.

Or is it? Earlier in the week Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak made an interesting/cryptic comment about his team and their potential plans:

“Well, if there were a way for us to get a 25-year-old, All-Star, ball-handling guard we’d love to do it…but that’s not likely in February. So you look at other alternatives and see if it’s better than what you have. That’s all.”

For those keeping score at home. Rajon Rondo is the only 25-year old, All-Star, ball-handling guard in the league.

While the trade is something to ponder, it really does not make sense for either side.

The Celtics need to get younger and more athletic. Without a capable backup point guard, who will lead the offense? A front court of Pierce, KG and Gasol is fantastic on paper, but the Celtics need to have someone that can bring the ball up the court and dictate the pace of the game. Rondo may be erratic at times, but it is his erratic/fast paced offense that sets the tone night after night.

As far as the Lakers, taking Gasol out of their front court leaves the them with Andrew Bynum as their only threat in the post. Bynum is more than capable of being that threat in the post, but his inability to stay healthy, over the course of a season, is a huge red flag.

The Lakers lack a point guard and Rondo can make them even more dangerous with his ability to draw attention away from Kobe Bryant.

Only time will tell if the Celtics are going to deal their only true chip.The trade deadline is fast approaching and the Celtics need to make a decision as to whether they are all in on making a run deep into the post season or if they plan on dismantling the Big Three in preparation for the future.

What do you think?

Kendrick Perkins makes his triumphant return to the TD BankNorth Garden tonight when the Oklahoma City Thunder stop by to take on your Boston Celtics.

This will be Perkins’ first visit to the Garden as a member of the opposing team.

“I don’t know exactly what to expect going into tonight,’’ Perkins said. “It’s like up and down. You really want to come in and just focus on basketball and try to get the win, but at the same time, there’s going to be probably a lot of things going on.’’

As you may remember, Perkins, along with Nate Robinson, was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic and a 2012 first round pick. The trade ripped the heart out of Celtic Nation. Perkins was a longtime fan favorite and admired for his defense and toughness in the middle.

For a team that struggled to make an impact in the middle, the numbers simply did not add up. Krsitc and Green are fine players, but they failed to make the impact Perkins did and would have made on a nightly basis going forward.

Krstic has since become a free agent and now plays in Europe. Green was set back by a medical emergency and is now out for the year. There is still a slim hope that Green can return and dominate and that the pick could turn into something worthwhile. While these may be the views of an extreme optimist, it’s about all I can think of in order to put a positive spin on one of the worst trades in franchise history.

Perkins leads an 11-2 Thunder team into the place he called home for the first eight years of his NBA career. Doc Rivers, like everyone else, will surely have a difficult time seeing Perkins as an opposing player. “That will be tough for me, that will be different,’’ Rivers said about seeing Perkins as a member of the Thunder  “Perkins is a Celtic. I don’t care what uniform he has on. He’s a Celtic for life. And he knows that.’’

Fans will finally get an opportunity to thank Perkins for all that he did as a member of the Boston Celtics. He gave his heart and soul to this franchise and played the game the way it should be played. He played it like a Celtic!

Welcome back, old friend. Welcome back.