NEWPORT, R.I. - Celtics practices end, and the questions move toward Kevin Garnett and his right knee. People want to talk to Rasheed Wallace, and they want to know how Marquis Daniels is fitting in, too.
The Celtics will be much better this season if Garnett can stay healthy and Wallace and Daniels can raise the level of the reserves. The team will be stronger all around if Kendrick Perkins can pick his spots with a newfound offensive proficiency, and Glen Davis improves on defense thanks to quickness from a newly toned body.
Across the way, Paul Pierce sits and ices his knees in relative anonymity. As training camp gets rolling, he’s not The Story. “Yeah, that’s true,” coach Doc Rivers said after yesterday’s session. As his eyes peered out from his hoodie warmup jacket, Pierce laughed at his fall from media attention. “I’m still here,” he said. “I’m still in the building.
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A couple years back, someone in the media asked Danny Ainge how Paul Pierce compared to Larry Bird. Actually, Ainge replied, "I liken him more to DJ. Paul sort of plays at his own speed, softens you up, and then picks his spots when the team needs him."
DJ had the luxury of playing with multiple All-Stars, which meant he could direct traffic elsewhere for three quarters. Then, if the game was still close, DJ would start imposing his will during crunch time, driving to the hoop, taking jumpers that they gave him, driving and dishing, drawing defenders and then hitting an open Bird under the basket. So to with Pierce the last couple of years, perhaps more so this year.
Fourth quarters of close games will be more interesting than ever, as defenses try to remember the danger lurking on the court known as Paul Pierce, when players like Rasheed Wallace, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo have dominated earlier parts of the game.
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