Boston Celtics

Notes from the Garden

By Gary Dzen

2 minutes to read

  • Celtics coach Doc Rivers emphasized before tonight’s game the importance of having three home games this week:

    “It’s a big stretch for us,” said Rivers. “In the first six games we won the game that we had to win (Charlotte). I thought we would be one, maybe two games better than that, but we’re not, so we have to keep going.”

    “I was hoping one game better for sure,” said Rivers. “I was hoping .500. That’s our mark anyways, and then build from there. We’re four under that number. And it’s not going to happen overnight. In the East or in the West right now you never know where that gets you.”

  • Al Jefferson watched Celtics practice in Waltham this morning, the first time he had been with the team since his appendectomy.

    “Al is doing well,” said Rivers, who said that Jefferson still can’t laugh because of his injury. “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him being worried about losing weight.”

  • Rivers also expounded on the developmental league and whether the Celtics will send anyone down in a couple of weeks.

    “I haven’t thought about it yet,” he said. “That’s more Danny (Ainge). I can’t wait for it to expand a little bit more. It would be nice for each (NBA) team to have their own team.”

    One guy who is definitely beyond the D-League is Gerald Green, according to Rivers.

    “Before the year started, Danny brought that discussion up. It was 50-50 at that time. I said I see so much improvement I want to keep him here.”

    Rivers noticed some of that improvement today in practice.

    “The first thing he said today was he walked over to me and told me his mistakes. That’s a growth you can’t measure. That couldn’t happen last year. As a coach, those are your proud moments.”

  • The mood in the Celtics locker room before the game was of anything but a 1-5 team. Tony Allen turned up the music when he walked in, and he and Gerald Green sang some lyrics.
  • Today was the first day for fans to vote for the NBA All-Star teams. Paul Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West are the three Celtics players on the ballot. Pierce was asked about being on the ballot as a forward and not a guard:

    “It’s not like I’m going to get voted on anyways,” he said. “It’s about the wins and losses. Whoever has the wins and those guys are playing well are they guys who deserve to be on there.”

    Szcerbiak was unaware that voting started today.

    “Did I make it?” he asked a group of reporters before the game.

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