The ``Who, me?'' look on Kendrick Perkins' face yesterday was instructive.
The Celtics center was about to study film on the NBA's most anticipated newcomer, Greg Oden, but judging from the sound of his voice and the innocent look on his face, Perkins could have been preparing to face Mikki Moore for the first time.
``I do want to see exactly how he plays,'' Perkins said of tonight's matchup against Oden, the Trail Blazers rookie. ``It's just going to be another night on the job, though.
``I mean, you have to be excited to get these opportunities. But to be honest, I've barely seen or watched him.''
At least Perkins didn't say he hasn't heard much about Oden. After all, they could have been teammates had not the ping-pong ball machine blown the Celts' chances at a No. 1 pick into the stratosphere the night of the 2007 NBA draft lottery.
But even Perkins admits he's now curious.
The Blazers - their growth postponed by a year due to Oden's knee surgery - are now the most promising young team in the league with a Northwest Division-leading 14-6 record that is also second best in the Western Conference behind the Lakers' 15-2 mark. Oden finished with a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double during the Blazers' 98-92 win in Washington on Tuesday, but according to Doc Rivers, numbers shouldn't even be a consideration right now when discussing the 7-footer.
``I think he'll be a great player, and it's going to take time,'' the Celtics coach said. ``People get too caught up in his numbers - talking about how he only had this or not enough of that. He'll be a dominant player in our league, a great rebounder, and eventually a great defender. ``But right now, defensively, he's still learning what is his strength. He's still learning the timing of the game and how not to get up-faked by a veteran.'' Rest assured that Perkins, an up-faker if ever there was one in the post, will test those reflexes.
``Perk gets excited every night,'' Rivers said of how much the center is anticipating tonight's matchup at the Garden. ``We talk of doing your job every night and understanding that teams are going to key on Ray (Allen), Paul (Pierce) and Kevin (Garnett), and that if you set your picks you are going to be open. ``But the great thing about Perk is that he has a defensive mind-set. Every time he sees a new big coming into the league, he's going to get up for it - especially when he goes against the scoring bigs.''
Celtics notes
Individual tickets for the remaining Celtics home games go on sale this morning at 11. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online at Celtics.com. Tickets also can be purchased at the Garden box office, through Ticketmaster or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. Premium seating, including five-game ticket packages, individual game suite rentals and 10-game plans in the new Garden lofts, are available, as are $10 seats.
There are also a limited number of group tickets available for 20-or-more people. For those tickets, call 1-866-4CELTIX. . . . The team had a short workout yesterday. . . . Tony Allen had an MRI taken on his injured right ankle. Though veteran Sam Cassell looms as a possibility if Allen's injury takes longer than expected to heal, Rivers hopes to keep his rotation as it is for now. ''I'd like to stick with the nine guys I've been playing,'' he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment