The Celtics still need rebounding. This has been a problem for several years, and while the addition of Al Horford has helped their defense considerably (the Celtics have a 112 offensive rating and a 102 defensive rating with Horford, both better than most players on roster), Horford is not a great rebounder or shot blocker.
CSN New England reports that as the trade deadline gets closer, Boston will look for a defensive big, and there's a certain former-Warrior on its target list.
As the February trade deadline draws near, the Boston Celtics are expected to take a close look at adding a defensive-minded, rebounding big man with Dallas' Andrew Bogut likely to emerge as a target.
Source: CSN Insiders notebook: Could Celtics pursue Bogut? | CSNNE.com.
With Dallas facing the dire prospects of their worst season since drafting Dirk Nowitzki, a trade like this would be a Godsend for the Mavs. Boston's not going to part with Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart for the 32-year-old Bogut, but if the Mavs can pick up an extra pick, Terry Rozier, or someone like Amir Johnson (who's redundant with Horford around) or Kelly Olynyk, that's good return for the future, which is what's more important.
The Mavericks could turn things around -- they've gone 2-2 recently with a win over the Bulls -- but if not, they could really use a pipeline for the future.
Meanwhile, Bogut as a rim protector gives Boston exactly what it needs. They can roll with a smallball lineup with Horford at center if necessary, or play Horford and Bogut together. Just improving their defense by a fraction could be enough to make them the second-best team in the Eastern Conference after a frustrating, inconsistent start to the year.
Another name to look out for is Jusuf Nurkic. Nikola Jokic remains a more valuable long-term player but has been benched behind Nurkic due to the inability to play next to Nurkic at power forward, and Denver needs offensive firepower, which the Celtics have at multiple positions.
