Dickau visits while on mend

PORTLAND -- For one game, the Celtics could erase the ''not with team" designation usually beside Dan Dickau's name.

The point guard, who lives with his family in nearby Vancouver, Wash., watched the Celtics' shootaround yesterday morning. He returned to the Rose Garden for last night's game against the Trail Blazers, a 102-96 Celtics victory. Teammates were glad to have Dickau around, if only for one day.

Since rupturing his right Achilles' Dec. 17 at Chicago and undergoing surgery to repair the injury Dec. 20, Dickau has spent most of his time in the Portland area, rehabbing. He has flown back to Boston for checkups and cast/boot fittings. Once the walking boot is removed, hopefully in about 10 days, Dickau will travel between Portland and Boston more often so the Celtics' medical staff can keep a closer watch on his progress. Without the boot, Dickau should start a more strenuous phase of his rehabilitation.

Doctors told Dickau to expect a 6-9-month recovery process, though he has optimistically set July 1 as a return date. He hopes to go through a full workout that day.

''In a perfect world, I'd be able to do a full basketball workout," said Dickau. ''But I know [team] Dr. [Brian] McKeon and [trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] are probably going to want me to slow that timetable down in my head. The main thing is to get 100 percent and then work on basketball skills.

''Each time [the doctors] took the casts off and put a new one on, they said it looked good. For the kind of surgery it was, there was very little swelling. So, they were happy, but it's such a long timetable for rehab that it's really too hard to get too excited if you're one week ahead, two weeks ahead of where you should be."

With all the time away from basketball and the team, Dickau has been able to enjoy time with his newborn son, Lucas Daniel, who arrived Jan. 27.

Wally Szczerbiak tried to keep his chances of playing against the Trail Blazers a secret. When asked what the odds were that he would play, Szczerbiak said, ''I'm not a betting man." But it was pretty clear Szczerbiak would be in the lineup after he completed the shootaround without difficulty. He noted his bruised left knee was stiff, but not that sore. And the swelling was down dramatically. ''The bruise is there still, but I'm happy with the way it's coming," said Szczerbiak, who started, played 39 minutes, and scored 25 points. ''It's something I think I can deal with." . . . Al Jefferson is optimistic about his chances of playing tomorrow against the Lakers, though Rivers said it was 50-50 the young big man will return before the end of the Celtics' four-game road trip. Jefferson tested his ankle with some running before the Celtics played Portland. If all goes well, he plans to join his teammates for practice today, though that could be a limited workout with Rivers likely to give the starters and some of the rotation players the day off. ''If Doc wants me to, I'm going to play Sunday," said Jefferson . . . Although Kendrick Perkins said his dislocated left shoulder feels good, he will not return before the end of the trip. It's likely Perkins will return against Indiana March 3 . . . Tommy Heinsohn was back broadcasting.