Add Josh Howard, Dahntay Jones and Roger Mason, Jr. to the Boston Celtics' list of potential targets. (Boston Globe)
The Celtics are looking for a backup to Paul Pierce and the candidates are Cleveland's Anthony Parker, who is playing out an expiring contract, New York's Roger Mason, Washington's Josh Howard and perhaps Indiana's Dahntay Jones.
Mason, for those of you who forget, made a name for himself in San Antonio a couple years ago before becoming mostly irrelevant the past couple years (he has played only one game this season, all the way back on October 27).
Howard brings a bigger name, and a more well-known game. He's a do-it-all type who has made All-Star teams, admitted to doing some pretty illegal things, and once made YouTube fame by bad-mouthing the national anthem. Like Mason, Howard hasn't played well in a couple years. Unlike Mason, Howard is currently recovering from an ACL injury he suffered last February.
Dahntay Jones hasn't played much this season, either, though new Pacers coach Frank Vogel recently added Jones to his rotation. The 6'6 pogo-stick's best statistical year came last season, when he averaged 10.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for Indiana. But his potential impact in Boston would be as a defensive stopper, which is how Denver utilized him in 2008-'09. That year, Jones started 71 games despite scoring only 5.8 ppg, carving his niche as a tough, physical, chippy, athletic defender.
None of the three new targets are perfect, but the Celtics could make worse additions.