Celtics Shakeup: Come To Boston, Damon Stoudamire

Rumors are that Damon and the Memphis Grizzlies are in serious talks to finalize a buyout of the remainder of his contract. Stoudamire has said that he would like to sign either with the Suns or the Celtics.

Come to Boston, Damon. That heat in Phoenix is downright oppressive.

Stoudamire is a perfect fit for Boston. The simple fact that his presence would all but end the painful sight of Tony Allen playing the point is enough to make the deal a winner for Boston. But Allen won't be the only one breathing a sigh of relief should Stoudamire land with the C's. The entire backcourt would get a much-needed lift.

Eddie House would no longer be counted on to play the point and instead could focus on what he does best—score and talk trash to opposing benches, coaches, dancers, fans and vendors.

Also, second-year man, Rajon Rondo, would be asked to carry less of the load. This is a veteran team poised for a championship run counting on a young point guard to be consistent—that's a tall order in this league.

Make no mistake, Rondo has shown he is more than capable of doing the job, but an experienced hand to ease the load on a young player who recently has battled injuries can't hurt.

The biggest winner however, would be Ray Allen, who has been woefully inconsistent over the past month. Some of this is due to a pinched nerve in his neck and some of it is not. Allen is fast approaching an age where shooting guards not named Jordan tend to fall off. Stoudamire would give coach Doc Rivers more flexibility with his backcourt rotations allowing him to rest Allen more without losing too much on the court.

At 34, Stoudamire is well past his prime, and he would need a Joe Smith-like rebirth to be anything more than a backup with the Celtics. But he can still shoot. And, should he go to the Suns, the Celtics' championship hopes wouldn't exactly be dashed. So it's a relatively low-risk pursuit.

Still, the twenty minutes, 7 PPG and 4 APG he's averaged this season with the Grizzlies, as well as his experience, would be a welcome sight for the C's.

It's no secret the Celtics need a big man and a backup point guard. Kendrick Perkins, known as a defense and hustle guy, lit up the Knicks for a career high 24 points yesterday. And while he can't and won't do that every night, hopefully it marks a giant step towards becoming the consistent 10 and 10 guy they need him to be.

If he can fill that role and Stoudamire does come aboard, this team will be much better equipped to do the one thing they have yet to do this year—prove themselves against the elite of the Western Conference. 

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