Carlos Arroyo on move from Heat to Celtics

Our man Ira Winderman said it best on twitter: If you can’t beat them, join them.

Carlos Arroyo, cut loose by the Heat last week to make room for Mike Bibby, will now join the Boston Celtics. He has to pass the standard physical, but he is expected to join the team in Milwaukee Sunday, reports the Boston Herald.

Arroyo will step in to the backup point guard role that had been Nate Robinson’s until he was sent to Oklahoma City as part of the Jeff Green/Kendrick Perkins trade. The need was to keep Rajon Rondo’s minutes down, something Doc Rivers told CSN New England’s Jessica Camerato Friday.

“The guy I’ve got to keep down more is Rondo,” Rivers said after Rondo played nearly 42 minute on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. “Even though he’s young, he’s still playing too many minutes the last four or five games. With Delonte out, that’s put a lot of stress on us as well.”

Arroyo gives the Celtics another floor-spreading guy who can knock down the three, he is shooting 43.8 percent this season (and he is shooting 46.3 on spot-up (usually catch-and-shoot) threes, which is what he will get most of in Boston. Arroyo also is a solid shooter inside the arc and can run the pick-and-roll pretty well (not Rondo, but not bad).

Arroyo is not a very good defensive point guard, but he’s an upgrade over Robinson in that department.

Arroyo is steadier than Robinson, he’s not going to have those explosive, unstoppable nights that Robinson had. But he’s not going to have the lows, either. Neither guy’s PER is going to blow your socks off (Robinson 10.3 this season, Arroyo 9.5) but this is pretty much an even trade out.

And you can bet Arroyo will be up for games with the Heat.