DeMarcus Cousins may be the NBA’s problem child of the moment right now, but don’t tell that to the Boston Celtics’ Danny Ainge. Ainge is apparently among those angling for Cousins, and few fans I know here in Massachusetts would mind seeing the young center in a green and white uniform, attitude and all. Okay, maybe that’s an oversimplification. There are a few Cs fans who think that Cousins is simply too hot to handle, just not worth whatever he’d cost in a trade. Nevertheless, we need a center, and there aren’t many options left.

We all knew that Ainge wasn’t done trading, especially considering the fact that every big deal he pushed for in that oh-so-short offseason fell through. That said, Ainge has a pretty good post-lockout record as far as the low-key moves he actually has been able to make. Greg Stiemsma and Brandon Bass come to mind. But few fans have any illusions that Ainge’s roster moves up to now will be enough to hold the Cs through to the postseason and as a solid a title shot as we could hope for on this last hurrah for the big three.

Make no mistake, Stiemsma and Bass have had some eye-popping minutes on the court, but their performances so far are really just pleasant surprises for Cs fans. Jeff Green’s sudden health scare and the frustrating fact that Jermaine O’Neal has been, well, garbage (aside from a single game) make it clear that the Cs still need to shore up their roster.

Cousins could be a major contributor, at least if his track-record on the court is any indication. After being picked up by the Sacramento Kings last year, Cousins had enough of a breakout season to earn him All-Rookie First Team honors. In the 2010-11 season, his per-36-minute were 17.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 block.

Five games into the current season, 21-year-old Cousins is no less impressive. While his scoring has gone down a tick (it’s just five games), it’s clear that he’s a dominant rebounder (which is what the Cs need). His per-36-minute averages so far are 15.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks.

So far, only one player on the entire Cs roster has averaged double-digit rebounding per 36 minutes. That’s Chris Wilcox, who’s averaged 10.9 in his limited time on the court. Combine that with the fact that Kevin Garnett is essentially at a career-low in rebounding per game, with 6.3, and per 36 minutes, with 7.5, and it’s not hard to see how Cousins make a real difference on this Cs team.

Taurus Londono has lived in Massachusetts for over ten years. He is a longtime fan of the Boston Celtics.

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