2011 NBA Free Agents: 3 Players That Can Push Boston Celtics to Finals

The Boston Celtics have Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett under contract this year, but that isn’t enough to put them back in the NBA Finals.

After cutting ties with center Kendrick Perkins last year to acquire a bum named Jeff Green, the C’s lost 4-1 to the eventual Eastern Conference champs, the Miami Heat.

While I understand the move to get rid of Perkins and gain an asset before they would not be able to pay him in the offseason, the Celtics submarined their chances of another Finals appearance by doing so.

Now they have to do some legwork to sign players that will help push the aging Big Three plus Rondo past the Chicago Bulls and Heat in the playoffs this year.

It all starts with the center position.

Jermaine O’Neal is the incumbent, and is clearly not an effective starting big on a championship-caliber team. He is under contract for just one more year, so the Celtics may look to move him.

Here are some players the Celtics should look to acquire to make another run at a ring.

Kurt Thomas

The 38-year-old center was brilliant at times last season for the Bulls. He has been in the league for 16 years and understands his role at this point in his career.

He would be willing to sign for cheap, and would love one last push at a ring with a group of veterans who share similar knowledge that their window is closing.

Samuel Dalembert

If Dalembert is willing to take a pay cut and sign for the full mid-level exception, the Celtics would be insane not to do everything in their power to convince him to join up.

He was overpaid in his last contract and ended up with a terrible Sacramento Kings team. Why not be properly paid and play for a contender this season?

Dalembert is strong and capable of putting up solid rebounding and scoring numbers while defending the basket.

DeAndre Jordan

The Clippers only extended a $1.1 million qualifying offer to Jordan after a season in which he grabbed 7.2 rebounds per game and had an incredible .686 field goal percentage.

If Boston could pull off a major coup and sign the 22-year-old, it would give them a super-athletic talent that would be their anchor in the middle for years to come and inject them with youth they need in order to win now .

I’m pretty sure fans at the Garden would also be excited to see Rondo lobbing up alley-oops to the 6’11” dunk artist a few times a game as well.