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BOSTON -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers acknowledged a report that Rasheed Wallace was contemplating coming out of retirement and suggested the conditioning of the 37-year-old big man will dictate whether he's able to be successful in that venture.

"He can play," said Rivers. "Listen, with everyone, it’s conditioning. If he’s in great condition, because I don’t know anyone’s age, then I’m sure he can play. If he’s not, then I’m sure it will be tough for him to play. I don’t think it’s that difficult."

Wallace, of course, wasn't exactly in great shape during the one year he spent with Boston, but did have his shining moments, including a solid effort in what is currently his final NBA contest -- a Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals.

The Celtics facilitated a buyout of the final two years of Wallace's contract that following summer (he had signed a three-year deal at the full value of the mid-level exception in 2009). Boston is still reportedly paying Wallace, $491,000 is on the books this season according to salary site ShamSports.com, but Rivers wondered if Wallace walked away with some basketball left in him.

"I was surprised that he retired, honestly," said Rivers. "Things didn’t end great, [but] he did play well in the first half of that Game 7, then the cramps and all that stuff kinda took its toll on him. But I just thought he still had basketball left in his body. He had to obviously get in better shape. I told him that. I was surprised; I think you sometimes talk yourself into [retirement], then when you get home, you think, ‘What have I done?’ I think that’s what he’s going through. I think he thinks, ‘Man, I probably left a year or two out there.’"

Rivers didn't hint at whether the Celtics would be interested in bringing Wallace back to their bench, but Boston's roster is currently at the 15-man limit and only rookie center Greg Stiemsma is on a non-guaranteed deal.

Our friends over at CelticsHub provide the details of a Yahoo! report suggesting that old friend Rasheed Wallace is considering an NBA return. It's hard to imagine the Celtics have any reason (or roster room) to consider the retired 37-year-old big man. Then again, Boston is paying Wallace $491,000 this season to do absolutely nothing (the second installment in his buyout agreement, according to salary site ShamSports.com).

A need for 'Sheed? Sound off in the comments.

A Celtics frontcourt player isn't truly injured until Rasheed Wallace's name is brought into the conversation as a possible replacement. During his call-in to Boston sports radio station WEEI (850 AM) on Thursday, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was asked about potentially adding Wallace to the roster (this despite the fact that Kevin Garnett is pegged to miss just two weeks and, more importantly, that the Celtics opened their wallets this offseason to send Wallace into retirement in August, securing a buyout of the two years remaining on a three-year deal he inked with Boston before the 2009-10 season).

Ainge didn't discount the possibility, but also didn't see an opening for Wallace.

"I don't know, I know that he’s been in our locker room a few of times this year and he’s been to a couple of practices," said Ainge. "I know the guys are teasing him about that -- about coming back. He’s said that he doesn’t want to come back.

"I’m not sure there’s room for Rasheed, unless we just have a whole bunch of injuries. Right now our center position, we have three healthy centers, we have a fourth one that’s not too far away in [Kendrick Perkins]. Right now, I’m more concerned about our backcourt with Delonte [West] and Rajon down, and Nate [Robinson] not quite 100 percent. Again, with [heightened minutes for Ray Allen and Paul Pierce], we need Avery [Bradley] and Von [Wafer] and Luke [Harangody] to step up and contribute."

Pressed on if the injury to Garnett was more severe, would he put more consideration into Wallace, Ainge noted, "I don't see him at the same position as KG."

Wallace doesn't help speculation by showing up at Celtics events like Boston's open practice for season-ticket holders in late October. Alas, his potential late-season addition is a question every Celtics reporter is constantly bombarded with as fans seem willing to forget his struggles to get last year's band back together for another title run.

BOSTON -- A handful of news and notes after the Boston Celtics held an open practice in front of season-ticket holders Tuesday night at TD Garden:

The rundown (a quick look at practice headlines)
* West pinpoints pain, expects to return to practice this week
* Celtics make a Tiny roster move to add depth before season
* Loose balls: Baby's intros, 'Sheed in the house

WEST PINPOINTS PAIN, EXPECTS TO RETURN TO PRACTICE THIS WEEK

After being limited for much of the past two weeks because of what he originally thought were back spasms, Celtics guard Delonte West revealed Tuesday that he's actually pinpointed a different injury and expects to be back on the court later this week.

"It turned out to be my glute muscles," said West, who has appeared in only three preseason games and has not stepped on the court since an Oct. 10 visit from Toronto. "It tightened up on me and I wasn't quite sure where the pain was coming from. As time went on and we gave it a rest, the pain started to circulate to one region and we pinpointed the area. It ended up being my left glute. It's just about 100 percent gone now."

West does not expect to play in Wednesday's exhibition finale against the New Jersey Nets, but hopes to be back on the practice floor later in the week. Given his 10-game suspension to start the season, West had hoped to use the eight-game preseason slate to work himself into shape. But the three-week delayed start will allow him to get healthy before being eligible for game action on Nov. 17.

"I need a little bit of time to work myself back into the lineup," said West. "There are guys out there in front of me right now. I'm starting from the bottom up again.

"But I'm very comfortable playing with the guys. I'm studying and I know all the sets. I'm a basketball player and I know [coach Doc Rivers'] system. I know what guys want to do, where they want the ball. I'll be back in practice this week, hopefully by the end of this week, and I'll be right back in the flow of things."

The extra time from the suspension is a small silver lining to his situation.

"No question, you've got to take the pluses and the minuses," said West. "You can't ever be down about anything. It is a positive. I'll use the 10 games to learn, see the flow of things and see how I can contribute. I'll use that time to rest and get 100 percent healthy.

"I'm about two percent away right now."

CELTICS MAKE A TINY ROSTER MOVE TO ADD DEPTH BEFORE SEASON

From a distance, it looked (stunningly) like Al Jefferson was working out next to Kendrick Perkins as the Celtics' practice opened to fans. A closer look revealed a different big man: Tiny Gallon, a 6-foot-9, 290-pound forward released recently by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Gallon, a second-round draft choice (47th overall) taken five spots in front of Celtics rookie Luke Harangody, understands that Boston has a maxed-out roster, but he's here trying to make an impression around the league. (And if another opportunity doesn't come along, the Celtics could always try to funnel him through to the Maine Red Claws using the D-League's new affiliation rule).

"The roster is filled up here, so this is a learning experience being here," said Gallon, whose name and highlight-worthy dunks have earned him some buzz. "I appreciate [the opportunity]. Being down here, I know Kendrick from Houston and I know [Shaquille O'Neal] a little bit. Coming down here is a learning experience."

Rivers offered only shrugs about the addition.

"I know nothing about him," said Rivers. "[Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is] going to look at him and wants to work him out, stuff like that. We're doing it more for that."

With Jermaine O'Neal sidelined with hand and back ailments, Gallon also provides another big body for the practice rotation.

LOOSE BALLS: BABY INTROS, 'SHEED IN THE HOUSE



* Baby on the mic: Celtics forward Glen Davis gleefully accepted the duty of introducing the entire roster, including 17 players, the coaching staff and trainers, to the Garden faithful during Tuesday's session. During a five-minute and often-hilarious segment, Davis paced the center of the Garden floor, offering mini bios on each of his teammates (highlighted by a suggestion that Mario West looks like, "my uncle Ray Ray," which had the Boston starters in stitches along the bench). Check out the video above to watch his team introductions.

* 'Sheed in the house: Rasheed Wallace, whom the team officially waived in August, extending a buyout on the two remaining years on his contract in order to facilitate his retirement, made an appearance at the open session. Decked out in red Philadelphia Phillies gear and sunglasses, Wallace spent most the night laughing with his former teammates.

After Davis' introductions, the crowd started a "Sheed" chant and Rivers ran down next to him and raised Wallace's arm to acknowledge it. Later, as the session closed down, Wallace stepped off the bench and hoisted a corner 3-pointer. The result? Airball and more laughter.

Neither his appearance, nor that lackluster audition, will do anything to stem the thoughts that Wallace could end up back in Boston as a late-season addition if there's a need for another big.



* Nate with the steal; Bradley with the assist: Ray Allen took off his practice shoes after the session, signed them, and was preparing to distribute them to some lucky fans when Nate Robinson raced over and stole one of the two kicks. When Allen playfully chased the reserve guard to retrieve it, Robinson chucked it into the stands (setting off a scrum for the prize). The second sneaker ended up in the hands of rookie Avery Bradley, who threw a gentler toss to the crowd. (See the video embedded above.)

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers briefly chatted with his team about changes this season to guidelines on how referees will call technical fouls. But he's going to let the zebras that visit every NBA camp do most of the talking, and therefore receive most of the venom.

"It's been talked about, honestly, but, no, I'm going to wait until the officials show up with the tape," said Rivers. "Then everybody will get upset."

At the referees' annual meeting in Jersey City, N.J., last week, the NBA announced that guidelines for technical will expand to include "overt" player reactions to referee calls. Officials were instructed to whistle technicals for:

• Players making aggressive gestures, such as air punches, anywhere on the court.
• Demonstrative disagreement, such as when a player incredulously raises his hands, or smacks his own arm to demonstrate how he was fouled.
• Running directly at an official to complain about a call
• Excessive inquiries about a call, even in a civilized tone.

The Celtics have found themselves near the top of the league for technicals in each of the last three seasons, including a league-high 107 during last year's regular season. Rivers joked Thursday that one of the team's goal this season is to finally set the NBA record for team technicals in a season.

"We’re going to set the record again, we’re going to go for it," said Rivers. "Last year, we fell short. This year, we’re going to head out and get it. You gotta have a goal, right?"

Reminded that it will be tough to accomplish without both Rasheed Wallace (retired) and Kendrick Perkins (sidelined into the new calendar year after offseason ACL surgery), Rivers didn't back down.

"It's going to be tough," he admitted. "Think about it: We won't have Perk or Rasheed for the first half, so I don't know how we're going to set it. But we're going to have to work on it."

Rivers noted he was going to refrain from offering too much analysis on the new rules, in fear the league might fine him. But he did expand when asked about how it will affect his emotional team.

"Listen, the game is played with emotion," he said. "That doesn’t mean it has to be negative emotion. It is an emotional game, I just want the officials to see what they call and call what they see, and they’ll be fine. They can’t dehumanize the game. I do think officials are good enough to know that, even on stuff they could call every time, they know the difference when a guy is more upset at himself than upset at the official. We can’t get so caught up in the aesthetics of the game, where it takes away from the actual game of basketball. I think fans would be more upset if we’re calling technicals and now the game is being stopped. I can’t imagine some of the things, [like] 10 seconds left and you call a tech. I know we’re doing it for aesthetics, for the good of the game, and I think it’ll work it’s way into being a pretty good rule."

(Note: Probably just a slip of the tongue, but funny to hear Rivers say that the team won't have "Perk or Rasheed for the first half" of the season. If nothing else, that will do little to stem the line of thought that suggests Wallace could return to the team for a postseason run).

The Boston Celtics officially waived Rasheed Wallace Tuesday, agreeing to a mutual buyout as Wallace prepares to retire from basketball after a 15-year career.

“We would like to thank Rasheed for everything that he did for this team and organization last season,” Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a statement released by the team. “We would like to wish Rasheed and his family the best as they move on into the next phase of their lives. He will always be a member of the Celtics family.”

Earlier Tuesday, Ainge hinted at a Wallace buyout and, having shown their hand, the Celtics moved forward with that plan.

Wallace walks away from two years and $13 million remaining on a three-year deal he inked last offseason. Ainge admitted the team tried to facilitate a trade utilizing his deal, but, in the end, settled on a move that freed up a roster spot after the team reached the maximum 15 players with Tuesday's signing of second-round draft choice Luke Harangody.

It will be interesting to see if the team now moves swiftly to fill that spot with a veteran free agent (both Ainge and coach Doc Rivers suggested Tuesday they would like another shooter off the bench), or whether the team simply keeps a spot open moving forward and waits for the ideal body (Rivers did suggest the team could always wait into the regular season before making that move).

Some had hoped the Celtics might move Wallace in exchange for a proven swingman to backup Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but Boston clearly couldn't find a likable deal in the trade market. Hope springs eternal in the offseason, and few teams would be looking to clear cap space at this point.

So Boston ultimately eats a bit of salary to facilitate Wallace's retirement and now has the flexibility to polish off its 15-man roster with training camp set to open in late September.

WALTHAM, Mass. -- A day after Rasheed Wallace's agent told the Boston Globe that his client will indeed retire from basketball this offseason, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that the situation will be resolved soon and hinted it would likely end with the team buying out the final two years of Wallace's contract.

"It is probably going to be resolved sooner rather than later," Ainge said on a conference call following Shaquille O'Neal's introduction. "I expect it to be done before training camp. We have looked at trade possibilities throughout the summer and will continue to look at those, but it will likely all be resolved shortly."

Reading between the lines, it appears the Celtics haven't found a deal that interests them this offseason and, with a maxed out roster at 15 players under contract for the 2010-11 season following Tuesday's signing of Luke Harangody, the team will likely move to open a valuable spot to sign one more veteran player.

Wallace is set to earn $13 million over the final two years of a three-year deal he inked with Boston last offseason, but told coach Doc Rivers before Game 7 of the NBA Finals that it would likely be his last game. Until he officially retires, the team can trade his contract, but Ainge suggested the team was more likely to add one more veteran free agent.

"One more piece is possible," said Ainge. "I like the pieces we have at this stage and would be happy going into training camp with this team. It is possible though we could add another player, most likely for the veteran's minimum, possibly a trade, but the most likely scenario is for the veteran's minimum."

Both Ainge and Rivers suggested they'd like to add another shooter to the roster, adding some depth at a swingman spot that remains the team's biggest area of need following the departure of Tony Allen. Von Wafer and Marquis Daniels are all that's behind Ray Allen and Paul Pierce on the depth chart at shooting guard/small forward.

"We'd like to get a [shooting guard], we'd like to get one more shooter," said Rivers. "Von's a hell of a shooter and that's good for us, but we'd love to get another veteran shooter."

Rivers waited a beat before adding a punchline, "Preferably one under 38."

What remains unclear is what that means for Tony Gaffney and Oliver Lafayette, a pair of young players with non-guaranteed contracts for next season. The duo can come to camp in search of a roster spot, but Boston might will have at least 14 guaranteed contracts at that point, and that's if they don't sign another veteran before camp opens.

The Celtics will start the year with Kendrick Perkins sidelined after offseason knee surgery, which makes even those final roster spots extra valuable at the start of the season.

Rivers did indicate that an addition could come after the season begins, provided Boston has that available roster spot (otherwise the team would need to eat a contract or make a trade). Rivers also didn't close the door on a possible Wallace return, noting, "You never know when a March call happens," suggesting Wallace could be lured out of retirement for one more (abbreviated) title run.

Both Shaquille O'Neal and Rasheed Wallace were in Orlando this weekend to support their mothers in a charity basketball game between NBA moms and NFL moms. Before the game, O'Neal became the latest member of the Celtics organization to lobby for Wallace to return next season, telling WFTV that he knew Wallace was pondering a return, then looking into the camera and saying, "Rasheed, go on and come back for one or two more years." (Check out the video above from CSNNE.com).

Earlier this offseason, both Jermaine O'Neal and Paul Pierce suggested they would also lobby Wallace to return, but Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has consistently stated its his belief that Wallace plans to walk away.

If Wallace does plan to retire, the Celtics could move his contract to a team in need of salary cap or luxury tax relief, and net a player in return. If Wallace returns, it would create a bit of a frontcourt logjam, particularly when Kendrick Perkins comes back from offseason knee surgery, but having a surplus of All-Star-caliber big men seems like an excellent problem for a championship contender to have (especially for a team that struggled on the glass last season like Boston did).

In the same interview, O'Neal talked about every person on a championship team sacrificing something and being ready to accept an assignment as a role player. If all of Boston's big are willing to swallow a bit of statistical pride, the Celtics could wind up with the most imposing frontcourt in the NBA.

In Saturday's charity game, Ray Allen's mother, Flo, won MVP for the victorious NBA moms, while Wallace's mom got (playfully) ejected after picking up two technical fouls, yet again proving that the tree doesn't fall far from the oranges.

(h/t: CSNNE.com)

SLAM Online provides a nice Q&A with Celtics guard Nate Robinson from his youth basketball camp in Mercer Island, Wash. Robinson spends much of the interview talking about his camp and the Seattle basketball scene, but this part stood out:

SLAM: After Game 7 of the Finals, Kevin Garnett said that Rasheed Wallace came into the locker room and gave his thanks and regards and that it was very emotional.

Nate Robinson: It was. Sheed is one of my all-time favorites, regardless of the techs. He speaks his mind and that is what I love about him. I have so much respect for him because if something isn’t right, he will let you know. He’s like that all the time. That was the one person who I would look to for advice and he always gave me his honest opinion whether I liked it or not. As a player he worked everyday. He came in and shot early, leave late. The main thing about him is he wanted to win. He has a ring but wanted to go out with a bang. We tried to go out with a championship but unfortunately we didn’t. The speech that he gave, saying stuff like he wouldn’t of had it any other way besides going to war with the guys that were in that locker room with us. It touched everybody. We were heartbroken that we didn’t win it for him. Of course I wanted to win my first championship but I wanted to win because I have looked up to Sheed since college. I played against his AAU team in Philly. My mom used to do his wife’s hair—my mom is a hair stylist. So I’ve known Sheed for a while, since I was real young. Playing alongside him was awesome. It was a dream come true. I just wish the tables were turned and we would have won that championship because I honestly believe if we would have won, Sheed would have played another year. One more year with Sheed.

Click HERE to read the full Q&A.

(h/t: Celtics Twitter)

WALTHAM, Mass. -- When newly inked Jermaine O'Neal was doing his homework on the Boston Celtics, one of the most obvious calls went to Rasheed Wallace.

The pair have been practically inseparable throughout their careers. Drafted one year apart, O'Neal and Wallace were teammates for four seasons in Portland, then spent the better part of six seasons going head-to-head as Indiana and Detroit jockeyed for supremacy in the Central Division.

After Wallace latched on with the Celtics hoping to win a world title last year, O'Neal phoned for his perspective on joining a championship-caliber bandwagon.

"I talked to 'Sheed, I'll see him before I get out of town," O'Neal said Wednesday at his introductory press conference at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint. "He had a lot of great things to say about the organization. It was kind of a selling point, too, with him coming in and actually being here for a year. He understands the situation, the scenarios, and chemistry is always important. Chemistry could be an issue on any team. That's what Boston has, ahead of everyone, [the Celtics] have chemistry and they know what it takes."

And did O'Neal lobby for Wallace to come back from one more run at a title?

"I shot him a text and told him to come back for at least one more year," said O'Neal. "He didn't respond. I will see him and I'm going to push for him to come back. The more bigs the better. He brings something that a lot of bigs can't bring. When he locks in, he's tough to stop."

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge later reiterated that the team expects Wallace to retire.

Over the next few weeks, we'll take a player-by-player look at the 2009-10 roster and how each player's season unfolded, assigning a grade for their overall performance. This is the ninth in the series of report cards:

Player: Rasheed Wallace
2009-10 averages: 9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 blocks
2009-10 salary: $5.85 million

Season in a paragraph: As Boston stumbled its way to a 27-27 record over the final 54 regular-season games of the 2009-10 campaign, Wallace drew much of the venom from fans for the team's inconsistent play. Brought in to be the sixth man that put the Celtics over the top, Wallace was gruesomely uneven and his struggles at both ends of the floor led many to suggest he was the root of all evil in the Boston locker room (even though teammates generally loved him). Wallace righted a lot of wrongs with inspired play in the postseason, often noting along the way that he didn't come to the Hub to waste energy on regular-season games.

Season highlight: May 3, 2010 -- Considered a lost cause by most after providing little in the way of production during a five-game, first-round triumph over the Miami Heat, Wallace reversed public opinion by connecting on 7-of-8 shots for 17 points in a 104-86 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference semifinal. Wallace saved his biggest game for an absolute must-win on the road and continued his inspired play against the Magic and Lakers, helping most forget about his abysmal regular season.

Season lowlight: June 15, 2010 -- After Kendrick Perkins tore his ACL chasing a first-quarter rebound in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the Celtics desperately needed a big man to step up. Wallace missed all seven shots he took in the game, including six 3-pointers over 17 minutes. Boston was never close, but Wallace didn't help their cause.

Final grade: C

Teacher's notes: The inclination is to boost the final grade given Wallace's inspired postseason contributions. Boston simply wouldn't have gotten as far as it did without him playing some of his finest basketball of the season in May and June. However, it's impossible to overlook the fact that, for 82 regular-season games, Wallace was an absolute wild card. Some nights he was fantastic, others he disappeared. Some nights he utilized his crafty veteran skills to dominate, while others he looked like a 15-year veteran on his last legs.

What's next?: Wallace made it clear to many in the Celtics organization that Game 7 of the NBA Finals was likely the last of his 15-year NBA career. He left it all on the floor, looking absolutely gassed after logging 36 minutes in the deciding game. Wallace now faces the prospects of the retirement he hinted at to coach Doc Rivers and his teammates leading up to the deciding game of the Finals. But how will Wallace walk away? Will he walk straight away from $13 million over the next two seasons? Will he request a buyout? These questions must be answered soon, especially if the Celtics hope to use his contract as potential trade bait.

Honor roll: Click HERE to read past report cards.

Don't agree with teacher? Just want to sound off on Wallace's 2009-10 season? Click HERE to leave a comment.

ESPN.com's J.A. Adande reports that Rasheed Wallace will retire this summer, according to NBA sources:

Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace will retire this summer, an NBA source said on Thursday.

Wallace will walk away from the final two years and $13 million remaining on his contract and conclude a 15-year career that peaked with an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.

Wallace, 35, scored 15,860 points and grabbed 7,321 rebounds while playing with the Celtics, Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Bullets (as they were known at the time). He had indicated to the Celtics that he was feeling too worn down to continue playing after this season.

  Forsberg's quick thoughts: If I'm interpreting the Collective Bargaining Agreement correctly, if Wallace walks away voluntarily, the Celtics not only save his $6.3 million this year (and a total of around $13 million over the next two seasons), but Wallace cannot return to the league for one year's time, meaning he is assuredly done for the 2010-11 season. The one downside for Boston: They don't get an extra mid-level exemption and might need to use that this season to lure a Wallace replacement.

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers reiterated Monday his belief that Rasheed Wallace will walk away from basketball this summer, revealing that the 15-year veteran told him before Game 7 of the NBA Finals that he thought it would be his final NBA contest.

Making his last appearance of the season on Boston sports radio WEEI (850 AM), Rivers discussed Wallace's future and all the things that went wrong in the Celtics' Game 7 loss to the Lakers last week.

"I think you have [seen Wallace's last game]," Rivers said. "He was so emotional right after the game, but Rasheed told me the night before that, 'I'm going to give you everything I've got. I really believe this is my last game that I'm going to play.'"

Read more on Rasheed HERE.

* Rondo & rest: Rivers admitted he wished he could have gotten point guard Rajon Rondo some additional rest. The point guard logged 45 minutes of action, and seemed gassed in the final frame when the Lakers pulled away. "I think I should have given Rondo another blow, I thought he was tired,” said Rivers. “I thought he played that way in the fourth. That was a tough one, he was starting to play well through the middle of the third, it was tough to pull him out. It’s easy to say now.”

* Post-mortem: Rivers said the Celtics called plays to get the ball to the post in the fourth quarter, but it never ended up there, but he wonders how effective it would have been, regardless. “Watching the game again, watching Kevin [Garnett] and Rasheed run up and down the floor, I don’t know what we could have gotten out of the post. I just thought that was an area we stopped attacking and we probably should have attacked more.”

* Foul play: The Lakers boasted a 37-17 advantage in total free throws, and really capitalized in the final frame. “The whole fourth quarter, [fouls] hurt us a lot. Fouls and foul shots. They scored 30 points and, if you’re looking at a raw stat sheet, you think, ‘Wow, we gave up 30 points in the fourth quarter.’ When you watch it again, you see all those free throws -- it was a free throw line parade. That’s the one line you can’t defend, and we were never allowed to defend because they were on the free throw line too much.”

* He earned his Wheaties: Rivers admitted Ron Artest was the difference for the Lakers. “Artest, clearly Artest. We didn’t defend him the way we should have defended him. We were helping off him more than we were supposed to and he made shots. Give him credit, he made shots and he was aggressive. I thought Ron Artest was the difference in that game. Kobe [Bryant], when you go into Game 7, you expect Kobe being Kobe and [Pau] Gasol being Gasol. But you gotta shut down the other guys. You can’t let the others get into the teens or the 20s, and that’s what Artest did.”

* Downright offensive: The Lakers also dominated on the offensive glass, collecting 23 offensive caroms. “Offensive rebounds destroyed us,” said Rivers. “That stretch early gave them life, even though it was first-quarter rebounds, I just thought that gave them the sense that they could pound us on the glass all night. And that’s basically what they did.”

LOS ANGELES -- As Celtics coach Doc Rivers sat at the podium suggesting Rasheed Wallace might have played his final game of his career on Thursday, the 15-year veteran stood outside the locker room of the game officials trying to talk to a group which has been intertwined with much of his career.

It wasn't clear if he was trying to discuss the calls that went against Boston in its Game 7 loss to the Lakers in the NBA Finals or just say goodbye to a couple of veteran officials.

Wallace exited the Boston locker room before it opened to the media and navigated his way toward the team bus before diverting to the official's locker room nearby. He managed to open the door and talk with an unidentified person behind the door, before arena and NBA security ushered him back out.

Wallace stuck his head into the locker room and appeared to say, "Danny, I just want to talk," possibly to referee Danny Crawford, but quickly got removed from the room.

Wallace, wearing sunglasses and carrying his gear, waited about five minutes outside the official's locker room guarded by arena security before departing for the team bus without talking to the officials or media nearby.

The veteran forward, who is the NBA all-time leader in technical fouls, did not appear confrontational. While waiting he muttered again about simply wanting to talk and that it was nothing bad.

But security would have no part of it, likely fearing he was angry about the way Game 7 played out.

Click HERE to read the full story.

LOS ANGELES -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers practiced Wednesday at the Staples Center in advance of Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals:

The rundown (a quick look at practice headlines)
* Despite Posey comparisons, TA trying to be himself
* 'Sheed, Rondo participate fully at Wednesday's practice
* Loose balls: Bryant a member of the Doc Rivers Fan Club; Fun Finals?


Despite Posey comparisons, TA trying to be himself



Celtics guard Tony Allen sat on the scorer's table at the Staples Center fielding questions from reporters, most of which centered around coming off the bench to defend Kobe Bryant. When the same question kept coming time and time again, Allen politely interjected.

"They've got a great team, it's not just me versus Kobe Bryant," said Allen. "I've got to do a good job on those other guys as well, like Ron Artest. It's not just me and Kobe Bryant. I don't know where that's coming from. They've got a great core of guys and I've got to be ready for them all."

Allen was informed that many observers were simply pegging him to fill the role James Posey occupied during the 2008 Finals, helping to lock down Bryant as a defensive stopper off the bench.

"Now I see," Allen said with a sly smile. "If that’s what role they put me in, I've got to deal with it. Whatever I need to do to help my team, I'm looking forward to it."

The good news for the Celtics is that Allen pronounced himself in full health after battling the lingering effects of a twisted ankle suffered in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Magic. Allen seemed a step slow at times over the final four games of that series, but said he'll be ready to go when the Finals tip off Thursday (ABC, 9 p.m.).

"My ankle is cool, it's feeling great," said Allen. "This is the best I've felt all playoffs."

The ankle injury helped lead Celtics coach Doc Rivers to decrease Allen's playing time over the final three games of the Magic series.

But Allen, who played a shade under 20 total minutes in just three appearances during the 2008 Finals, deemed himself ready for whatever the team throws at him this year. He doesn't want to be an observer this time around. And he's certainly not living in the past.

"I've been playing all playoffs [this season], so there's no looking back to 2008," said Allen. "My whole progress right now is moving forward and helping this team win a championship."

Allen would have big shoes to fill in any such Posey-like role. According to the wizards at ESPN Stats and Information, Posey limited Bryant to 16 points on 26 plays (0.62 points per play) in which he was the primary defender during the 2008 Finals, including 2-for-6 shooting with two turnovers in 10 isolation plays.

How does Allen measure up? Over the last three seasons, including the playoffs, Bryant has produced 28 points off 32 plays (0.88 points per play) against Allen. Bryant was 10-of-25 shooting with a mere three turnovers and four trips to the charity stripe on plays during that span.

Considering Bryant averaged 1.19 points per play in the 2008 NBA Finals -- his most in a series during the last three years -- Allen's stats reflect an above-average job.

"I mean, honestly, Posey was Posey," Allen said of the comparisons. "I'm Tony Allen. And that's what you've got to deal with: Tony Allen."

'Sheed, Rondo participate fully at Wednesday's practice

Rasheed Wallace and Rajon Rondo, both of whom are nursing back injuries, participated fully in Wednesday's practice session, including contact drills, a positive sign as both ramp up for Thursday's Game 1.

Wallace, who originally tweaked his back during Game 5 against Orlando then left early in the fourth quarter of Game 6, had been held out of contact drills earlier in the week, but moved fluidly in the portion of practice open to the media Wednesday, which included stretching and shooting drills.

Rondo landed hard on a first-quarter drive to the basket in Game 6 versus the Magic, but said the time off has worked wonders.

"My body is fine," said Rondo. "These five days have definitely been great for me personally. I know it's great for the team, but for me I've been getting a lot of massages, a lot of treatment. I'm feeling better and better each day. The more time I get, the better I am. [Thursday], I'm sure I'll be back almost at 100 percent."

Elsewhere on the injury front, Marquis Daniels (concussion) said he is feeling better is still awaiting full clearance from team trainer Ed Lacerte.

"I'm feeling better, it's progressively getting better each day," said Daniels. "The break helped. I'm just waiting for Ed to give me the sign now. I'm antsy."

Daniels has seen his role decrease throughout the season, but threw his name in the hat to help defend Bryant.

"Like anyone that likes to compete, you want to go out there and play against one of the best in the game," said Daniels. "I'd like that opportunity."

Answering a query about Andrew Bynum and his injured knee, Rivers summed up injuries at this time of year.

"[Bynum's knee is a] non-factor for us; [it's a] factor for them probably," said Rivers. "We're not going to worry about whether he's healthy or not. Players tend to be healthy once the Finals start no matter what their injury status is, and you know that. We're viewing him as 100 percent and a factor in the series."

The Lakers probably consider Wallace and Rondo in that same boat.

Loose balls: Bryant a member of the Doc Rivers Fan Club; Fun Finals?



* Daniels has bonded with Nate Robinson since the trade that brought the three-time Slam Dunk champ to Boston in February. The two playfully bantered on the sideline during the media session, and Daniels expressed great satisfaction in watching Robinson play a key role in Boston's Game 6 triumph over the Magic last week.

"It was great, I was happy for him," said Daniels. "Being patient, we worked out every day together, just me and him out there sometimes. It's great to see him [on the floor], helping the team."

Robinson scored 13 points in 13 minutes to help Boston close out the Magic Friday.

* Count Bryant among the members of the Doc Rivers Fan Club.

"I love Doc, and I love his personality and the relationship that he has with his players," said Bryant. "I had a chance to spend some time with him over the All-Star break a couple years ago. He just happened to be on the same bus for a function, and I had a chance to kind of talk to him a little bit. He's just a down-to-earth guy, just extremely sharp, prepares extremely well, and I think he's the type of coach guys would love to play for."

* Asked if the NBA Finals are a "fun" experience despite the pressure of the competition, Kevin Garnett delivered a playful jab to the media.

"The competition could be labeled as fun," said Garnett, "but sitting here talking to you guys for 30 minutes, that's not necessarily fun."

Garnett was part of a handful of Celtics who stood at podiums to answer questions for the half-hour session. The others: Ray Allen, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins. Other players were scattered about the floor taking questions from smaller groups of reporters.