How well would former Clipper Quinton Ross fare in Boston?

June 23, 7:07 PMLos Angeles Clippers ExaminerJohn Magers

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According to a blog written by Brian Robb on celticshub.com, former Clipper Quinton Ross would be an excellent, low-cost addition as a backup to all-world Celtic superstar Paul Pierce, and here's my take on how well Ross could do in Beantown.

It's apparent that the best skills Ross can offer any team are his defensive chops. By getting after perimeter shooters so they can't just fire at will. By avoiding screens so his man can't drive straight to the basket. And coming up with his fair share of deflections and steals due to his above-average hand quickness. And it's a given that it doesn't matter whether or not he's coming off of the bench, because he will still do what he does best, either in 5 or 50 minutes.

As far as weaknesses, Ross really doesn't have much of an offensive repertoire. Can he knock down open treys and run himself into an occasional bucket? Yes. Can he create his own shots more than sparingly or, more crucially, get open looks for his teammates with dribble penetration? No, not really. So this allows opponents to focus on the other four players on the floor and to keep a defender a few feet away from Ross only so he can't launch uncontested threes.

Now, to be fair, there are offensive and/or defensive specialists throughout the NBA, and as I previously mentioned, Ross has the skills to be a contributor on any NBA roster, as, for example, a poor man's, younger Bruce Bowen.

But here's what concerns me. The Celtics are no longer losers/also-rans, like they were for most of the past 15 or so years. They are a legitimate contender that is considered a favorite to win it all in 2009-2010, and those expectations carry over to the players. What happens when Ross makes a faulty rotation or lets his man get by him on defense or misses an easy shot on offense? Is he going to get stuck right back on the bench and/or berated by resident loudmouth teammate Kevin Garnett, and if either/both of those things happen, will he have the confidence to recover and do his job the next time his number is called?

I'm just not sure that Ross is prepared to handle the pressure of being on a real winner. And if I'm Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge, I'm working Ross out with the rest of the current Boston squad to see how he responds to running with these guys. Also, I'm giving Ross a little Q&A afterwards, to see how he feels about everything.

Regardless of what happens, I wish Ross the best of luck, and he of course will be a part of something excellent if he does join the Celts.