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When the Celtics realized they needed firepower off the bench, they brought in a Jet.

SG Jason "Jet" Terry, a 12-year veteran of Atlanta and Dallas, signed with the Celtics for three years at the full mid-level exception. Terry will provide instant offense for a bench that struggled to maintain the starters' leads.

Although Terry's three-point shooting is not quite at the level of departed SG Ray Allen (Terry is a 38 percent career three-point shooter, as compared to Allen's 40 percent), he is a great range shooter in his own right and has a reputation for knocking down big shots in pressure situations.

In some ways, Terry is a better fit for the Celtics than Allen next season.

First, Terry is far more willing to come off the bench: Allen found the idea of backing up young SG Avery Bradley so untenable that he took less money to sign with the Miami Heat. By contrast, Terry, who won the NBA Sixth Man award in 2009, thrives as a scorer off the bench: His clutch scoring played a big role in the Dallas Mavericks' 2011 NBA title.

Second, Terry is a far less one-dimensional player than Allen at this point in their respective careers. Allen's decreasing speed and inability to create his own shot led to increasingly stagnant offensive sets for the Celtics.

Oftentimes, when a play was drawn up for Allen, PG Rajon Rondo would have to hold the ball at the top of the key until the shot clock had nearly wound down, waiting for Allen to fight through picks and get open.

Terry, by contrast, is much better off the dribble (he has the requisite handle to play minutes at backup PG) and can create his own shot with ease. He'll be a much better fit for a bench that lacks a leader on offense.

There are some legitimate concerns about Terry's age (he's 35) and the length of his deal, though the extra years may have been necessary in order to convince him to sign in Boston. Given the deal for Courtney Lee, there is also a question as to whether the Celtics should have pursued frontcourt depth with the mid-level exception instead.

Otherwise, this is a great deal for the Celtics, and Ainge deserves a high grade for improving one of the team's biggest weaknesses from the previous season.

Grade: B+