The Boston Celtics found their replacement for Rasheed Wallace today, agreeing to a 2-year/$11.5 million deal with free agent Jermaine O'Neal. The 13-year NBA veteran played with the Miami Heat last season, with averages of 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. While he does have a lot of mileage on his body, O'Neal can still contribute a lot to a contending team.O'Neal will try to replace last summer's big acquisition Rasheed Wallace, who decided to retire shortly after Game 7 of the Finals against the Lakers. He will be the starting center for the team heading into the start of the regular season, and will likely hold the job until Kendrick Perkins is able to return from his knee injury.
The only concern I have with this signing for the Celtics is athleticism. Can their front court dominate the paint when O'Neal, Garnett, and Perkins all will be playing on surgically repaired knees? Age will once again be a widely discussed topic for the Celtics this season because they seem to be aging instead of adding youth to the team. It will be interesting to see how this team holds up against growing contenders such as Miami and Chicago.
