The Celtics are in the best position to win the 2011 NBA Finals as any team in the league. Unlike the Heat, they have a plethora of depth. Unlike the Lakers, they have been enjoying productive chemistry. Unlike the Spurs, they have recent playoff success to look at as a useful prediction model.

No team in the NBA is in less dire need of a deadline trade than the Celtics, but they certainly aren't good enough to decline some semblance of reassuring.

Boston has the second ranked defense in the NBA, with naturally talented defenders in a system that demands constant commitment.

The Celtics really only have issues when it comes to safeguarding their chances against potential injury to Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen or Kendrick Perkins. A loss to any member of that starting five would be catastrophic due to how perfectly they complement one another and the relative drop-off behind each player at the position.

Because three of those four Celtics have aged out of their prime, they have disproved the theory that a team needs one of the best five players in the NBA to win a title. Boston was just a few minutes away from winning the 2010 championship despite not having a single player on their roster with a PER over 20.0.

The Celtics are an excellent passing team and Pierce is having one of his best seasons offensively, but they are a relatively modest 13th in overall offense. The ability to play off Rondo and his reluctance to get to the line has limited their true capacity on the offensive end, but they are about the same as they were last season in this area.

Ideally, the Celtics would acquire a wing equipped to defend players like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Manu Ginobili and Joe Johnson, while also being an excellent spot-up shooter.

Boston also could use a healthy body at center because even though they have a ton of them (Perkins, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and Semih Erden), all of them are an injury risk.

Desperation Meter: The Celtics went on an inspired playoff run in 2009 when Garnett was out with injury, and there is little doubt that Rondo and Perkins have developed considerably and Pierce is far healthier, so losing one of the big four wouldn't be a death sentence.

As they were last season when they acquired Nate Robinson, Danny Ainge will be opportunistic if something intriguing comes across his phone.

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