The Boston Celtics were on the hunt for a rental big man during the offseason, and they eventually brought in six-time All-Star Blake Griffin. Another once perennial All-Star, Dwight Howard, believes he should've been the man for the job.

Following the untimely injury of Robert Williams III, the Celtics needed another center who could fill in temporarily. While a lot of names circulated during free agency, Griffin was ultimately chosen over Howard and other veterans.

Howard, who felt scorned by not only the Celtics, but the Los Angeles Lakers as well, went on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay show to voice his feelings.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year thinks he could offer a lot of defensive value to the Cs, even likening himself to the legendary Bill Russell.

“[Boston] has a lot of young talent. I feel like I could've been a Bill Russell in this era with that team. I'm all about defense and I understand it on a different level.”

Although this is a bold assertion, Howard could help the Celtics in a few ways. So far this season, Boston's defense has been lacking without Timelord. The Cs have held only one opponent under 100 points through their six games, and prior to their win against the Washington Wizards they had the 24th-ranked defense.

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Blake Griffin with Celtics players telling him to come back before retirement.

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A newspaper as the background, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks logos in the background

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Jaylen Brown in a celtics jersey next to Jrue Holiday (Team USA jersey) on the right and Jayson Tatum on the left (Team USA jersey). they can all be smiling/hyped and the background can be american/olympic themed

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On the flip side, their offense has been great. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have played like the burgeoning stars they are, lighting up opposing defenses and both averaging over 25 points per game. If they can lock down on defense again like last year, they'll undoubtedly be a top-tier team.

Another area the Celtics have taken a step back in is rebounding. Boston has been out-rebounded for four of six games so far, including in losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. The Celtics were also bested on the glass in two of their victories. Rebounding won't keep Boston from racking up wins with Williams sidelined, but is still an area of concern to watch until he returns.

Even though Howard made some bold claims for a 36-year-old veteran currently without a job, what he excels in is what Boston is missing right now: Defense and rebounding. While he wouldn't be an instant remedy to those problems, the Celtics should keep Howard in mind as the season progresses. If they cannot figure out these issues themselves, signing Howard short-term could be a viable move.