NBA Offseason: 10 Things the Celtics Need to Do to Compete with the Heat

It's clear that this year's free agency has been filled with excitement and surprises. With the new "Big Three" in Miami creating all the buzz around the league, the Boston Celtics are left to wonder what could have been in last months NBA Finals Game 7.

Now as August is on the horizon teams are slowly starting to get back into focusing on the 2010-2011 season. The Celtics have taken care of immediate needs by re-signing Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

There are still some moves and precautions this Celtics team needs to take in order to be ready come November. This team isn't getting younger and needs to realize that once the 82 game season begins.

In the NBA it's not a sprint, but a marathon, as the season starts in October and doesn't end until the middle of June.

10. Remember: Defense Wins Championship

The Celtics have always been an organization that preaches defensive intensity. It is what got them to the NBA Finals and remains a valuable part of their game plan.

They held Kobe Bryant to 6 of 24 shooting in Game 7.

Drafting Avery Bradley makes perfect sense. Bradley was one of the nation's leaders in steals at Texas, and he believes he is the best defender on every team he has ever been on. I think that changes now that he's in Boston, but he should still compete for minutes off the bench.

Kevin Garnett is a defensive difference-maker. He's going to need to continue to regain his strength in order to stop Chris Bosh.

It's also clear that Pierce and Allen will have their hands full trying to stop LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Boston is considerably older, but that doesn't mean they won't defend or be able to stop Miami.

Just look at the defensive presence Boston brought against Cleveland. It works both ways and in Game 6 the Celtics just wanted it more.

9.Filling the Void of Injured Kendrick Perkins

People can say what they want about the offensive inefficiency of Big Perk, but the truth is that his defensive attitude can't be matched. His size and strength was clearly missed in Game 7.

After tearing his knee up, the rehabilitation process will take time. The Celtics will be lucky if Perkins is back sometime in December. Knee injuries take time to heal and Perkins isn't going to be back before he regains full strength in his knee.

That's okay as long as the Celtics have answer at center. Right now they have Jermaine O'Neal, who should be able to defend and rebound under the basket.

Other than that, the Celtics have Glen Davis and rookie second round pick Luke Harangody. Both are undersized to play center and with the Celtics closely approach the max roster, they need to solidify the Center position.

Names that have been floating around are Kwame Brown and, yes, Shaquille O'Neal.

The problem here is the Celtics only have the minimum contract value left to offer. Whether or not either of these guys decide to sign with the Celtics, there is still a durability issue.

Boston needs a big man that can come in and rebound right away. Scoring isnt the problem here, but being able to hang tough on the boards is.

8. Realizing Rajon Rondo is a Leader

Rajon Rondo took control of this team during the playoffs. It was his speed and intensity that helped the Celtics get all the way to the NBA Finals. Rondo isn't scared of Miami and has let his feelings be known to all.

He publicly said that they haven't done anything yet. He is right and his confidence shows that he is up to the challenge of beating the Heat. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all have to realize that Rondo makes them all better. He sees the floor like the top point guard he is.

Rajon Rondo needs to improve his jump-shooting in order to help make him more of a threat when he has Dwayne Wade guarding him. Rondo also has to improve his free-throw shooting which cost the Celtics at times in the playoffs.
It will give him more chances to go to the rim and get fouled. He has the skills set and potential to keep the Celtics as a contender in the Eastern Conference. Sure there is the Heat, Magic, and Bulls but until they go out there and beat the Celtics, they haven't proven anything.

7.Shooting Efficient from Three Point Range

One area where the Celtics finished poorly was shooting from three point range. Ray Allen made eight threes in Game 2 and then virtually went missing for the rest of the series.

Allen didn't make a three pointer in Games 3, 4, or 5 when the series shifted back to Boston. This is statistic where Boston usually excels but when teams come out and guard the perimeter it causes trouble.

Paul Pierce was mediocre from behind the arc during the Finals and is another player who needs to consistently knock down the open three.

Recently, the Celtics signed guard Von Wafer which is a great sign for another spark off the bench. Wafer is a solid three-point shooter who can pull up from three or take it to the rim. His intangibles should be helpful for the Celtics in replacing Tony Allen.

It's important to remember that the Celtics resigned Nate Robinson. We saw what Nate can do when he gets it going like he did in the playoffs. Too bad he didn't get to play more than a handful of minutes in Game 7.

6.Kevin Garnett Needs to Regain His Form

Kevin Garnett struggled at times during the playoffs but did rise to the occasion when the Celtics needed him most. The only problem is K.G. isn't getting any younger along with some of his teammates.

That doesn't me he still can't be effective. Remember last year was the first action since he had knee surgery which caused him to miss the 2009 playoffs.

Garnett still has the skills to average 18 points and 8 rebounds. Yes he can't play 40 minutes a night anymore, but he is still a quality low-post player. His defense skills were vital in slowing down Paul Gasol during the finals.
K.G. realizes that the Heat are going to cause matchup problems with Wade, Bosh, and James all on the floor. It's going to make rebounding that much more important, because you don't want to give second chance opportunties to that team.

It has to be tough for Garnett and his teammates after they went back to L.A. with two chances to close out the series. Still Garnett is a veteran who will have a fresh mindset and focus on the new season.

He has to because the competition is that much tougher. The Celtics won 50 games last season after starting 23-5. I don't Boston is going to have the luxury to rest its starters like it did this past season.

That means Kevin Garnett will have to answer the call and produce on both ends of the floor.

5.Paul Pierce Has to Remain the Face of the Franchise

Paul Pierce drafted out of Kansas in 1996 has spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics. He has experienced both the highs and lows of a NBA franchise. He has succeeded with winning a NBA title, but has also failed at times. It was that same year 2006 that Boston was able to trade for Ray Allen.

Pierce is widely known for his trash-talking on the floor, but he has a passion and fire for the game of basketball that burns inside him. He is always up for a challenge and doesn't back down to anybody.

He likes to dictate the tempo and establish himself in each and every game. What people don't give Paul enough credit is for his ability to defend. Just look at what he did on LeBron James. That same performance is going to be needed when they play the Heat this season.

Paul Pierce is a veteran who has the experience to help young players such as Avery Bradley and Nate Robinson. Just look at the transition Nate made going from the Knicks to the Celtics. His entire personality changed. With that it made him a better player.

Boston is going to need to get better as a whole unit if they want to be able to compete with the Heat. That starts with the team leader and the type of person Paul Pierce is.

4.Rebounding on Both Ends of the Floor

The biggest questions the Celtics face this off-season is how are they going to rebound the ball after it comes off the rim. Perkins is out indefinately. It is rumored that Rasheed Wallace is retiring.

Sheldon Williams and Brian Scalabrine were both non-factors during the season and likely are both out of jobs for the upcoming season. That leaves us with Jermaine O'Neal and Glen Davis to pick up the production.

Wow. Yes it's true that Boston lacks a true center with Perkins out. That's why it is important that that sign somebody who can grab the ball off the rim. They have to. Garnett is a good rebounder but he can't compete with Howard, Noah, and LeBron by himself.

If the Celtics want to beat the best teams next season they are going to have to put players on the floor who will dive for loose balls and hustle every time a shot goes up.

It's hard to win games when your team is getting dominated on the boards. It just puts you in a bad position where teams will take every advantage of second chance points.

That also means grabbing rebounds on offense and defense. It has to happen on both sides of the ball no matter what the situation is.

3.Have to Forget About the 2010 NBA Finals

Last season is over, the Lakers are the 2010 NBA Champions and that's not going to change. The Celtics blew a golden opportunity when they were leading by double digits in the second half of Game 7 and then disappeared on offense.
The only way that pain and loss of a title can be let go is by getting back there in 2011 and winning it this time. Yes that is a tall task to complete, but it is one that Celtics mentally have to prepare for.

Boston faces too many challenges this regular season to worry about what could have been last season. What's done is done.

The Big Three in Boston have to remain committed to taking down the South Beach trio. The Celtics have a terrific coaching staff and with Doc Rivers back are ready to give it another go.

Nobody is scared of the Miami Heat. They have formed quite the trio down in Florida, but that changes once the season starts. When it is all about winning basketball games, something the Boston Celtics have done a lot of the last three years.

2.Coaching Is a Big Part of Winning

Danny Ainge was able to get Head Coach Doc Rivers back for another season. Many analysts weren't sure what the status of Coach Rivers was after the Game 7 loss.

Remember he has children who are playing sports and entering College. His son, Austin is going to be a Senior in high school and is one of the top Division I basketball recruits for the Class of 2011.

The great part of Doc is he stil has passion and desire to win games. He is a special coach and was vital in helping the Celtics end an eighteen year drought that last from 1986-2008.

One addition that hasn't been talked about this off-season is the acquistion of Lawrence Frank. Frank the former Nets coach is from New York City and was a basketball team manager under Bobby Knight at Indiana. His knowledge should help replace that of lost assistant coach Tom Thibodeau who is now the Bulls head coach.

The Boston Celtics team loves Rivers and what he brings to the table. You could tell the emotions were flowing after a Game 7 loss, but that K.G. Pierce, Ray, and the rest of the guys all wanted Doc back on the sidelines.

Now they have his word, and he will put together a gameplan that is capable of beating the Miami Heat.

He will expose players like Chris Bosh who everybody believes is a NBA superstar when in he reality he has never played past the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Boston Celtics Have To Remain Healthy

One thing that has happened in the past that is sure to derail any championship aspirations is injuries. The 2010-2011 Celtics team has to remain healthy and can't afford any key injuries.

It was clear what happened to the Celtics in 2009 when Garnett went down. Just look at what happened in the two biggest games in 2010 when Perkins went down early in Game 6.

It changes the entire dimension of how you play the game. There has to be substitutions made that end up resulting in matchup problems. Injuries are unexpected but dealing with them when they occur are even more difficult. In the end, it all comes down to winning, and if your team is not at full strength and is battling injuries it is hard to compete.

That goes for every NBA Franchise. The Celtics are more vunerable because of their lack of depth at certain positions and the aging veterans that are part of their roster. They still have talent left to play, but their bodies have been through a lot more then guys such as Wade, Bosh, and LeBron.

The Celtics can beat the Miami Heat next year. Miami is going to lose some basketball games. Nobody is perfect, and this Heat team will take time to transition to playing with three scoring machines.

I don't care what they do in South Beach, Boston needs to remain healthy and be ready for the NBA Playoffs. That was Doc Rivers number one concern last year and they almost did the unthinkable. When a team is healthy and rested it plays with a lot of hunger. Boston is going to need that extra toughness come 2011.

It's all about staying in shape and remaining healthy through the eighty-two game grind that the NBA season is.