Mickael Pietrus is happy for his fresh start, even if that start will be delayed two more weeks. Pietrus signed with the Celtics on Dec. 24 after he was waived by the Suns. Phoenix originally tried to deal the 29-year-old to Toronto, but the Raptors backed out of the trade after examining Pietrus' surgically repaired knee.
Pietrus underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in July and he expects the recovery to be complete in two weeks. "My knee is feeling good," Pietrus said prior to a workout before last night's game against the Pistons. "I'll start practicing a little bit on my own with a trainer and I think I'm probably like two weeks away."
The Celtics are willing to wait for the 6-foot-6 swingman, who will add defense and 3-point shooting off the bench. "He can shoot the 3, and he's a straight-line driver," Celtics president Danny Ainge said. "He doesn't really create off the dribble. He's a spot-up shooter who is fearless and plays defense with great energy. He's a terrific athlete."
Pietrus left a lasting impression on the Celtics during the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals. Then a member of the Magic, Pietrus' hot shooting helped Orlando defeat the C's in a seven-game series. He's hoping to make a similar impact now that he's on the other side.
"When you play for the Celtics, it's not the beginning of the season that's most important for you," said Pietrus, who has averaged 8.6 points in eight seasons. "It's the end — it's June — that's why they have 17 banners. I'm trying to get the 18th. To be honest with you, I didn't come here to just wear the jersey. I came here to play with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and (Kevin Garnett), so that's a great challenge for me and I look forward to it."
Pietrus' time in Phoenix didn't end on good terms, as the Suns willingly paid roughly $4.2 million of his $5.3 million salary just to end the relationship.
"There's an expression that, 'All's well that ends well,' " Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby said at the time. "In this case, all's well that ends." Whatever acrimony existed in Phoenix wasn't evident last night as a jovial Pietrus spoke with reporters. The Guadeloupe native joked that all he could provide the talented Celtics squad is French cheese or French fries.
When a reporter mentioned the smile Pietrus had on his face throughout the interview, he said that's his nature.
"I'm always that way because life is short," Pietrus said. "You have to seize every moment and live life because I've been through some tough times when I lost my mom (at age 9) and I lost a member of my family last summer. It's kind of tough for me not to have a smile. I think that's the right way. Even though I might have a bad game or a great game, I'll still have a smile on my face."
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