Updated March 4

Don't mistake Boston's addition of Sam Cassell as a sign that Rajon Rondo is inadequate.

Just look back at Kevin Garnett's nine-game absence from late January to mid-February. Detroit was in the midst of what would grow to a 10-game win streak, yet didn't take a big chunk out of the Celtics' East lead.

Sam Cassell was ejected after hitting Rajon Rondo with a clothesline in a Feb. 6 Celtics win. (Getty Images)

So Rondo can play. And he certainly plays more defense than Cassell. Yet here comes the 38-year-old veteran, flying to Boston on Tuesday to sign, adding even more drama to Wednesday's matchup with -- yep, you got it -- Detroit.

Why is this maneuver necessary? Perhaps the Pistons' Flip Saunders, who coached Cassell in Minnesota, can explain it best.

"One thing about Sam," Saunders told the Detroit Free Press, "is he's not afraid to take big shots."

Bingo.

Despite his spike in production during Garnett's absence, Rondo is averaging just 10.6 points per game. He defers to Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen -- as a second-year point guard should do when on the court with three All-Stars.

Cassell, on the other hand, will take and make a clutch jumper if one needs to be taken. He did it when he won a pair of titles with the Rockets a hundred years ago. And he did it for the Nets, Bucks, T-Wolves and Clippers.

Of course, the Celtics pay Pierce and Allen a lot of money to take and make clutch shots. Cassell is also, shall we say, vocal. So will he disrupt the rank and file?

Like any late-season addition to the rotation, this is a chemistry experiment. But remember, these guys have history and they have enjoyed success together. The most productive stretch of Cassell's career was from 1999-2000 through 2003-04, when he averaged 19.2 points and 7.3 assists while playing alongside Allen in Milwaukee and then Garnett in Minnesota. That stretch included a trip to the East finals with the Bucks and the West finals with the T-Wolves.

Rondo says he's glad Cassell is coming aboard. So it's on Cassell to make this work and understand that his role will likely be more limited than it has been in years.

And if he hits a few big shots when the Celtics need them, this chemistry experiment will get a passing grade.

This week's Power Rankings:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Pistons · Trends	1
	Chauncey Billups misses a game, so Tayshaun Prince merely dishes out 10 assists while playing point-forward. And the Pistons win.
	2	Celtics · Trends	2
	Boston had a 3-0 week and, even better, Kevin Garnett is 100 percent again. He averaged 18.3 points and 12 rebounds during that span.
	3	Lakers · Trends	3
	Kobe Bryant's MVP candidacy is getting stronger and his team's confidence grows with each victory. Detroit and Boston are sweating.
	4	Spurs · Trends	4
	Tony Parker is back to full health. He's averaging 25.5 points in two games since the calendar turned to March. The Lakers are sweating.
	5	Hornets · Trends	6
	Losing by 17 to a depleted Wizards team? The next step for the Hornets is winning games they're supposed to win.
	6	Jazz · Trends	5
	Andrei Kirilenko averages twice as many blocks as any of his teammates, so a quick return from that hip injury would benefit the Jazz.
	7	Cavaliers · Trends	8
	Through the roster shakeup and an ankle injury, LeBron James holds it all together. Now he must spend the next week without Big Z.
	8	Rockets · Trends	10
	We have to restore Houston to the ranking it held before Yao Ming's injury. Whereas the Suns and Mavs are still discombobulated, the Rockets are in sync. The issue is how long they can keep this up.
	9	Mavericks · Trends	9
	The Mavs nearly knocked off the Spurs, Lakers and Jazz on the road. But 'nearly' isn't a moral victory when you lose all three games.
	10	Suns · Trends	7
	'This has nothing to do with Shaq,' coach Mike D'Antoni said after his team fell to 2-4 with O'Neal in the lineup. 'This has something to do with urgency and playing with heart.'
	11	Warriors · Trends	13
	They have won three in a row, including one over the surprising Sixers. But man, giving up nearly 108 points per game is living dangerously.
	12	Magic · Trends	11
	Hedo Turkoglu handed out 10 assists as the guard-depleted Magic dropped the Knicks. Now coach Stan Van Gundy wants to see Hedo handle the ball more.
	13	Raptors · Trends	12
	The Raptors must try to survive a week without Chris Bosh.
	14	Nuggets · Trends	14
	If it's possible to be disappointing AND 11 games over .500, the Nuggets have done it. It has been all downhill since that Feb. 19 victory over Boston and a rusty Garnett.
	15	Trail Blazers · Trends	15
	Three-point marksman James Jones is back, and not a moment too soon.
	16	76ers · Trends	19
	The Sixers showed everybody a little something, going 2-1 on a brief West swing and winning in Phoenix.
	17	Wizards · Trends	17
	The Wizards have won four of five, pulling out of that nosedive that started when Caron Butler got hurt. And Butler still isn't back.
	18	Hawks · Trends	20
	This could be a big week for the Hawks. If they win Saturday's 'doubleheader' with Miami, they might be looking at a 4-1 week.
	19	Nets · Trends	18
	Devin Harris has been terrific since finally making his Nets debut. Can they use Harris, Marcus Williams, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson together without making the lineup too small?
	20	Kings · Trends	16
	It took a visit from Miami to end the Kings' four-game skid.
	21	Pacers · Trends	23
	Thanks to consecutive 36-point efforts from Mike Dunleavy, Indiana spent the weekend putting up big numbers -- and winning.
	22	Bucks · Trends	21
	After winning three of four, Milwaukee capitalized with ... a three-game losing streak.
	23	Bulls · Trends	22
	The Bulls get Cleveland on Thursday and Boston on Friday. Sigh.
	24	Clippers · Trends	24
	Even the return of double-double machine Chris Kaman didn't help as the Clippers' skid hit six.
	25	Bobcats · Trends	25
	Jason Richardson has put this depleted team on this back. But it's going to be tough while Gerald Wallace recovers from a concussion.
	26	Knicks · Trends	26
	Zach Randolph started last week with a vengeance ... then bruised his foot and has missed the past two games.
	27	SuperSonics · Trends	27
	The Sonics can finally see what Johan Petro and Mickael Gelabale have to offer. They've both done good things in the past couple weeks.
	28	Timberwolves · Trends	28
	In late February, the T-Wolves scared the daylights out of San Antonio and beat Utah. Positive steps.
	29	Heat · Trends	30
	Welcome to life outside the cellar.
	30	Grizzlies · Trends	29
	That's eight losses in a row and 14 of their past 15.