Celtic Jefferson appears to be coming of age

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The scouts from San Antonio and Dallas have been with the Celtics all week. Now that their reports are about to be finalized for the respective home offices, there should be a red flag next to the name Al Jefferson.

Five weeks into a season that started painfully slow for Jefferson, the Celtics' man-child power forward appears to have found his stride. It started with what coach Doc Rivers called the best defensive performance of Jefferson's young career, against the Knicks last Sunday. It continued with a 12-point, 10-rebound submission in an otherwise forgettable evening for the Celtics in Houston Tuesday. And it was there for all the frozen Oklahomans to see Wednesday night, when Jefferson torched the Hornets for 16 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes.

Those are the kinds of numbers Jefferson delivered now and again last season, numbers that made Celtics fans drool over what might come to pass on a more regular basis in his sophomore campaign. But an ankle sprain pretty much threw him out of the loop and the rotation for all of training camp. Now, he says, he's healthy. The ankle is fine. The conditioning is there. Bring on the Spurs and Mavericks.

''I could have said that two weeks ago," he said after the Hornets game, referring to his ankle. ''It was just a case of me getting back into the flow. Now, I'm there. The ankle is not even an issue now. I forgot it even happened."

Needless to say, a healthy and contributing Jefferson would go a long way in helping the Celtics' admitted shortcoming: firepower off the bench. Jefferson and Mark Blount (19 points) were a lethal 1-2 punch Wednesday, destroying the pathetic interior line of the Hornets almost at will. Even though Paul Pierce had 28 points and 12 rebounds and Ricky Davis had 26 points, the Daily Oklahoman dubbed Jefferson the star of the game.

''I feel like I'm back to normal," Jefferson said. ''I'm over the injury and all that other b.s. [upon which he did not elaborate]. Things are looking brighter. My teammates are seeing me and getting the ball to me."

And he knows what to do with it when he gets it.

Jefferson was at his versatile best in the third quarter Wednesday, when he scored half of his 16 points in a shade less than four minutes. He tipped in his own miss (he has an excellent knack for that) then followed with a curling jam when it initially looked as if he might lose control of the ball. He then put on his Kevin McHale hat and went through a triple-team before closing with a leaner. Not a single hoop was from more than 3 feet, but each one was different. Each one was, well, Jeffersonian.

''I don't know how he gets some of those shots up," Rivers said.

''As long as Al stays with his strengths, he really has a gift around the basket," said Raef LaFrentz. ''He can score in the paint. We have to keep him in that situation where he can play to his strengths. But he's going to have to adapt soon, too, because he's going to start seeing a lot of double-teams."

The Spurs are certainly a quantum leap defensively from what Jefferson saw Wednesday. The Mavericks, too, have picked it up on the defensive end under Avery Johnson. But Jefferson has an ignorance-is-bliss attitude about him and clearly is not the least bit fazed by whoever guards him.

Two ongoing concerns: playing well at the defensive end and staying out of foul trouble. Rivers has always made it clear that Jefferson's playing time is predicated on how well he plays defensively. But when he has nights like he had Wednesday, it has to be hard not to look at this kid, who turns 21 next month, and wonder.

At the very least, NBA scouts will have a lot more work to do to find ways to keep him from wreaking havoc.

Rivers, as is his custom, gave the team the day off following back-to-backers (and with another set coming up). The Spurs, fresh off a home win over Miami and winners of five straight, also did not practice yesterday . . . The win Wednesday marked the first this season for the Celtics on either end of a back-to-back. They had been 0-7 in those situations . . . Just in case you're late to the show, the Celtics' last win in San Antonio was on Valentine's Day 1990, a streak of 14 setbacks. San Antonio has won 16 straight from the Celtics overall and Tim Duncan has never lost to the Celtics . . . Ryan Gomes took over Justin Reed's role for the Hornets game after playing well (and Reed playing not so well) against the Rockets. Reed played the final 68 seconds when Rivers lifted the starters . . . Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton was expected at Wednesday's game but did not make it. (The weather may have had something to do with it.) Sutton coached Tony Allen and had a commitment from Gerald Green before he decided to turn pro right out of high school . . . Pierce may claim the free throw line as a tax deduction after going 37 of 44 from the line over the last three games. He's 26 of 29 in the last two games.