Green adjusts to minor move

WALTHAM -- Gerald Green is taking his assignment to Fayetteville of the Development League in stride and making the most of the opportunity, said coach Doc Rivers, who spoke to the rookie by phone Wednesday.

That was the good news. The bad news? According to Rivers, it took Green about 90 seconds to recognize who was on the phone.

''I'm hoping he becomes a superstar and we can play him right away, but I'm realistic, too," said Rivers. ''I talked to him [Wednesday] night. He was upbeat. He was doing well. He didn't realize it was me, I don't think, for the first minute and a half of the conversation. That was a little scary. He was talking away. Then, I said, 'You know, this is Doc.'

''He said, 'Doc?' I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'Hey, Coach.' Then, he said, 'I've got to keep working on my defense.' So, that tells me someone toasted him. That's usually what happens when a guy tells you that. But he says he likes the fact that he's out on the floor."

Down time

Almost as soon as the Celtics returned from their West Coast trip, Al Jefferson started to struggle, with the exception of a 17-point performance at home against the Hawks Jan. 6. He went 1 for 7 at Washington and against Dallas. When Boston played Atlanta again Tuesday night, Jefferson logged just 6 minutes 26 seconds, scoring 4 points and exiting without a single rebound. ''He hasn't played well," said Rivers. ''I don't know if it's a wall. I thought that was just for rookies. I'm just being funny, but I think with Al, [Kendrick] Perk[ins], Orien [Greene], Delonte [West], hopefully not, you've got to always be concerned about the mental fatigue. Then, it affects your game. There's no way around it. We're playing so many [games]. I thought the Atlanta game showed that with all of them, except for Delonte. That they [the younger players] were tired a little and they let that fatigue get to them on the floor. Al has to be a better defensive player," said Rivers. ''That's No. 1. We have to keep teaching him how to play defense. . . . Tony Allen did not practice yesterday because of a sore left ankle.