Boston Celtics: Why Kevin Garnett Should Be Danny Ainge's Top Priority

As soon as the buzzer sounded at the end of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami, the questions immediately began circulating about the Celtics' offseason plans.

The looming free agency of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and rumors throughout the season that the Celtics were "aggressively trying to trade Rajon Rondo" cast a shroud of doubt on the possibility of a full return of Boston's "big four" next season.

In a previous article, I discussed the benefits of keeping Boston's core four together, but here I'd like to specifically hone in on Kevin Garnett.

Some reports indicate KG is still mulling over his future and has considered retirement (via ESPN).

The 36-year-old career power forward made the move to center after the All-Star break this season to accommodate roster changes. In the first half of the season, while playing PF, KG averaged 14.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG.

After the switch, Garnett's numbers improved. He averaged 17.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG after the All-Star break. Playing center pitted Garnett against the opponent's 5, giving KG and his legendary mid-range game an exploitable advantage on offense.

Garnett has been open about his preference to play power forward (from ESPN), but a few more opportunities at a ring may be enough to keep him open to playing center again next season. NBA.com's Sam Smith reports that the Celtics are very interested in free-agent center Omer Asik. Acquiring Asik might increase the likelihood of being able to re-sign Garnett.

Even if Garnett comes back with the expectation of primarily playing the 4, he can occasionally fill in at the 5 for specific matchups. That kind of versatility is huge in a big man.

Make no mistake, Garnett is no longer the scoring machine he was up through the mid-late-2000s. The 2011-2012 season saw him average 15.8 PPG, his highest season average since the 2008-2009 campaign.

Perhaps more importantly, despite a grueling condensed schedule, KG started and appeared in 60 of the Celtics' 66 regular season games (91 percent). This was after 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons that saw him start and appear in 84 and 87 percent of the C's games, respectively.

The Big Ticket played the entire season without any major injuries and showed he still has several seasons left in his legs.

He seemed to only get stronger as the season wore on, averaging 19.2 PPG and 10.3 RPG in the playoffs.

Beyond his offensive efforts, Garnett remains one of the NBA's best defensive players. According to Basketball-Reference.com, in the 2011-2012 season, KG led the league in individual defensive rating, was fourth in defensive win shares and was selected as a second-team NBA All Defensive player.

His versatility makes him a huge asset for Doc Rivers defensively.

While his on-court performance is reason enough to re-sign him, his biggest contribution is undoubtedly his leadership and locker-room presence. Following the Game 7 conference finals loss to the Heat, Paul Pierce spoke with sportsradio WEEI about Garnett's effect on his teammates:

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"I’ve said before when Kevin first got here, he really changed the culture of everything we did around here, from the practice habits to the on-court discipline. He made everybody accountable, from the ballboys, to the chefs to the guy who flew the plane."

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While Boston has always been “Pierce’s team,” Garnett has emerged as the heart and soul of the Celtics; the team rises to his intensity and he sets the standard for young players to follow. He is one of the game’s best defensive players and still has the ability to lead the offense when Rondo and Pierce are having off-nights.

Not bad for a 36-year-old.