TORONTO - Going with Nate Robinson as the fill-in for an injured Rajon Rondo yesterday, the one concern for Celtics coach Doc Rivers was that Robinson would see the stars around him in the starting lineup and defer. Robinson came out, drained six of his first nine shots, and quickly showed Rivers that wouldn't be an issue.
"I told Nate, 'Be you, and if you're open, take shots,' " Rivers said. "I wasn't concerned about Nate running the team. I was concerned about Nate trying to run the team and not being an aggressive scorer. I just told him be aggressive, if you're open shoot the ball, that's what you do. Everybody else will figure it out."
In his first start with the Celtics, Robinson scored 22 points, 16 in the first quarter. Rivers gave Robinson the nod over Delonte West "mainly because Delonte's injured, with his back," the coach said. "We've got to watch his minutes." Robinson is also more comfortable running the Celtics' system because West was suspended for the first 10 games.
"For the most part, I'm not trying to step on any toes, just come in and bring energy," Robinson said. "The ball's going to find guys and it did. It found me early, and I just took advantage, tried to take the best-quality shot for the team, and guys were trying to be aggressive. I was finding open shots and knocking them down."
"Nate was great," Kevin Garnett said. "I thought he did a great job of getting us in sets. He was responsible, took control of his team. He called the proper sets, he was aggressive. That's what we need. "While Rondo's out everybody's going to have to pitch in a little bit, and help with what he brings, and everybody's going to have to be a little responsible."
Rondo also could sit out tonight's game at Atlanta as he continues to rest the left hamstring he tweaked in the fourth quarter of Friday night's loss to Oklahoma City
Rondo practiced shooting before yesterday's game and said he would try to play, but trainer Ed Lacerte decided it would be best for him to sit.
"[Rondo's] feeling better," Rivers said. "He felt pretty good, it's just a hamstring. There is a little something there. It's not bad, but with hamstrings . . . if this was a playoff game, would he play? Yeah. But we have back-to-backs, and if we can probably not play him in both, we have three days off and it gives him a chance to get healthy."
If Toronto to Atlanta seems like a long back-to-back, it isn't. The Celtics make the trip in 90 minutes. Their longest trip for consecutive road games this season comes when they play San Antonio (March 31) and Atlanta (April 1). "Getting out of Texas is three hours," Rivers said, joking. Still, it's a stretch. The league rule is 22 hours between start times for back-to-backs
Avery Bradley traveled with the team for the first time this season. Ankle surgery kept him out of summer league, training camp, and the preseason. He practiced for the first time last Monday and was activated yesterday with Rondo unavailable . . . The Raptors had just 11 players active after swinging a deal on Saturday that sent Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks, and David Andersen to New Orleans for Peja Stojakovic, Jerryd Bayless, and cash
No comments:
Post a Comment