Boston Celtics 2012-13 Season: The Deepest Team in the NBA

Shouldering the loss of Ray Allen, Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics front office have managed to put together one of the deepest teams the organization has seen in years.

Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett will surely bring their constant All-Star caliber play to the table, but it is the Celtics' wonderfully deep supporting cast that will allow them to contend with LeBron James and the mighty Miami Heat in one more Eastern Conference Playoffs bout.

A couple years ago, it would have been tough to see Allen's game declining quicker than Garnett or Pierce, but it was especially apparent during last year's playoff run—during which KG excelled—that Allen had lost a step.

In reality, Allen's departure would have been one of the better things to happen to the Celtics because it would allow them to get younger. Allen joining the rival Heat, however, made things slightly more complicated and all the more heartbreaking.

Let's take a look at the key additions. 

Jason Terry

The acquisition of Jason “The Jet” Terry was critical to the Celtics' hopes for any sort of significant title talks.

Terry's veteran playoff experience is just as polished as Allen's, and at age 35, Terry provides fresher legs than the 37 year-old Allen—not to mention the lesser punishment Terry's body has taken coming off the bench for so many years.

Terry's presence will be huge as promising young guard Avery Bradley will not be back from shoulder surgery until December.

At 16.1 career PPG, Terry is one of seven Celtics with double-digit career scoring averages—this doesn't include Brandon Bass, who has been in that category for the past two years.

Courtney Lee

Bolstering what will become one of the more vicious trio of guards once Avery Bradley returns, Courtney Lee brings both youth and experience to the Celtics roster.

A bit of a journeyman, Lee has played with three different teams (ORL, NJ, HOU) in four years, but it isn't for his lack of skills.

Averaging just over 27 MPG throughout his career, Lee has excelled with speed, tenacious defense (1 steal/game) and a knack for knocking down shots from beyond the arc (38.6% career).

With Terry and Bradley by his side, Lee will be able to provide a ton of energy without tiring out frequently. These are three high energy guys that will be a constant nuisance, particularly for teams with less depth at the SG position.

Jeff Green

If you talk to the Boston Celtics, Jeff Green was a member of the team all of last season, regardless of the fact the he was released in December. Green spent a nice chunk of the playoffs on the sidelines supporting the team that continued to support him.

Green had a startling scare last winter, undergoing heart surgery after an aortic aneurysm cut his season short. Thankfully, the issue was discovered during a routine training camp physical and now green is back at training camp at full health.

Oddly enough, it was the Ray Allen trade that prevented Green from playing with the Celtics sooner, as the No. 5 overall pick was sent to Seattle as part of the deal that brought the New Big Three together.

Green got a bad rap after struggling to mesh with the team late in the 2011 season after the Celtics shipped Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the young forward.

According to an Associated Press article, Celtics coach Doc Rivers feels good about Green moving forward:

 "He’s comfortable here now," Rivers added. "I think last year, even though he didn't play, it probably did a world of good for him just being around the guys, and they accepted him. I think all that helped him. And he’s got a chance to be just terrific."

If Green can bring the type of versatile game that we were used to in his days with the Thunder, he could be a major asset for Boston this season.

Leandro Barbosa

What a nice little acquisition Leandro Barbosa was for the Celtics just a couple weeks before the start of the season.

There are a few caveats with Barbosa, but if any team can temper them, it has to be the Celtics.

The upside for Barbosa is that he can go on explosive scoring tears. Averaging 12.5 PPG throughout his career, Barbosa was one of the big off the bench sparks contributing to several Phoenix Suns playoff runs in the early 2000's. He has slippery quickness to the hoop and can often get hot from beyond the arc.

However, for lack of better words, Barbosa knows how to keep the ball in his hands. He knows how to keep the ball in hands for repeated possessions without ever getting rid of it.

The good thing is that Doc Rivers won't have any of this nonsense. On top of that, the depth that the Celtics bench will provide should prevent Barbosa from feeling the need to constantly take over on the offensive end—a la the Toronto Raptors days.

Regardless, Barbosa should provide a nice spark and keep opposing defenses on their toes. Think of him as a more talented Mickael Pietrus. 

Darko Milicic

Darko, Darko, Darko.

Sure, I know what you're thinking.

We should probably tease Darko Milicic a little more because he completely flopped as the No. 2 overall draft pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Well this writer has had enough!

Darko's shortcomings have made him an easy target for years now. I'm over it. Darko will never be the person the Pistons had once hoped he would be, but that doesn't mean that he can't be a solid bench asset for a team like the Celtics—he wasn't bad last year until Nikola Pekovic made a name for himself with flat-footed dunks and blocks.

Darko is a strong, big bodied guy, and at 7'0” he can provide the Celtics with the type of off-the-bench size, blocks and foul-taking ability that they lacked last year.

Now that Chris Wilcox is back from injury, he and Darko can give solid big-man support to Garnett and Bass.

It's the exact position that Darko would want. The Celtics aren't expecting much of him. If he can play imposing and aggressive defensive series that will be more than enough for Boston. 

Zach Stanley is the CEO of Star Fantasy Leagues.