Rob Lunder
Rob Lunder

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Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

We continue to preview the Boston Celtics roster for the 2012-2013 season and today we look at Jason Terry and his outlook for this upcoming season.

Terry was drafted in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks out of the University of Arizona. He played for Atlanta for five years before being shipped to the Dallas Mavericks in 2004. He is most associated with a Mavericks uniform, known for his patent three point showboating after hitting a clutch three.

In 2011, he helped Dallas win the NBA Championship over the Miami Heat. He hit a number of clutch three pointers in that series and he will be expected to perform similarly during his tenure with the Celtics.

First and foremost, Terry brings a winning attitude and spirit to this Celtics team.  He is a great teammate and has always been known as an excellent locker room presence. As a veteran who has seen it all, he will be a key addition to this season’s roster and will bring some much needed outside shooting to the green this year.

He essentially fills the role Ray Allen had on this team and is a great three point shooter who is always ready for the big stage. He can also create his own shot, something that Allen has recently struggled with. Plus, he provides the bench with the scoring punch it often lacked last season.

He is instant energy and will allow head coach Doc Rivers the comfort of knowing that when he pulls out one of his starters, the bench will help them stay in the game and maintain a lead. There were so many instances last season where the bench cost the Celtics, especially in game 7 of last year’s playoffs against the Heat. It seemed that whenever Kevin Garnett would exit the floor, the team entered a dry spell from which it could not recover. Terry changes all of this.

He also provides the team with great versatility. He can play both guard positions and he allows Rivers to utilize him as a backup point guard for Rajon Rondo if need be.

One of the knocks on Terry throughout his career that he has often overcome is his lack of size. He is about 6’2 and is more of just a guard, not necessarily a point guard or a shooting guard. He is decent on defense, but not a guy that you can throw on the opposing team’s best player and feel comfortable with him guarding. None of these negatives have ever seemed to bother Terry, as he normally always goes about his business in a professional manner.

Terry was a terrific free agent signing by the Celtics over the offseason. He brings an element that this team hasn’t seen in a long time: a great bench scorer. You can count on him being on the floor at the end of the games helping clinch a victory. It was an excellent move by GM Danny Ainge swapping Allen for Terry.

Terry is two years younger and is arguably a better player than Allen at this stage of their respective careers. Terry recently guaranteed a Celtics championship and you can bet that he will play an essential role in the team’s quest for another world championship.

Rob Lunder covers the Boston Celtics for Rant Sports.  For all Celtics news, check out the Boston Celtics homepage on Rant Sports.