Can Danny?

Love him or hate him, Antoine Walker made Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics better.  When Danny Ainge took over, he felt that Antoine had a "hold" over this team and that that influence wasn't necessarily a positive one.  What Danny has found in the years sans Antoine is that while Walker's influence was undeniably flawed, the positive aspects of his presence were difficult to replace.

The Celtics first post-Antoine era focused on making Paul Pierce the man and having him be the hub of the offense.  Complementary players like Raef Lafrentz and Ricky Davis were brought in to help Pierce, who would direct the team to greatness.  Obviously, this didn't pan out.  While The Truth is a terrific player, he is better off when he can focus on scoring and doesn't also have to be the key decision maker on the floor.  The Celtics added the remnants of Gary Payton the next year but even that wasn't enough.  When Antoine came back in 2004-5, not only did the Celtics (26 - 27 at the time of the deal) rattle off a 19 - 10 record to close the regular season, but Paul Pierce's game also improved, most notably his three point shooting which rose 13 points (from 32% to 45%).  Unfortunately, the negative aspects of Antoine arose in the playoffs and after an embarrassing loss to the Pacers (and contract demands that weren't in line with his declining skills), Antoine's second stay in Beantown was over.

Heading into Post-Antoine Era #2, Danny Ainge realized that he needed to team Pierce with someone who was capable of handling the decision-making while also helping out as the #2 opton.  Danny opted for Wally Szczerbiak who, unfortunately, was never able to fill Antoine's shoes. Wally might have been a capable decision-maker but he was never healhy enough to take over that position and, even worse, he never seemed to earn Pierce's confidence. Whenever the going got tough, Paul Pierce got going.  He didn't seem to consider Wally as a viable second-in-command and often took on the opposition by himself. Pierce's one man shows, while, at times, impressive, usually featured forced shots and bad turnovers.  What Antoine gave the Celtics wasn't just a person who could run the show but also someone that had Pierce's trust and could help keep him focused.  Wally simply wasn't good enough and didn't have that connection. 

Enter Ray Allen.  

Ray Allen has the potential to be everything Antoine Walker was to Paul Pierce.  His hoops IQ and passing ability makes him a perfect cog for the Celtics offense and he's a hard-working veteran and the best player Pierce has teamed with which should earn Pierce's trust.  The one thing that Ray Allen doesn't match Antoine rebounding and he isn't the interior presence that Antoine could be (although more often than not Employee #8 eschewed this for the perimeter).

That's where Al Jefferson comes in. Jefferson should more than make up for Antoine's rebounding and, even better, is a true post power forward who is capable of operating down low without getting half of his shots blocked.  While Antoine could play both inside and outside, Jefferson is better inside and Allen is better outside.  Also, having Jefferson and Allen means that there is one more defender who'll be occupied, freeing up Paul Pierce even more.

Injuries are still a concern for both Ray and Jefferson (not to mention Pierce) but the Celtics look like they've finally found the person to fill the void that Antoine Walker left behind... twice.