Ratliff is finished for the season

Prior to the start of the season, Danny Ainge cautioned about expecting too much from Theo Ratliff. He will help, Ainge said, but it's not like Ratliff is going to be a major part of the equation.

Turns out, Ratliff isn't going to be part of the equation at all -- unless you count 44 minutes as part of it.

Ratliff revealed yesterday he has decided to opt for back surgery (minimally invasive, he said) "in the next week or so" and basically shut himself down for the rest of the season. Ratliff played in only two games: Nov. 8 against Charlotte and Nov. 10 against Utah. He has been bothered by back woes (bulging disk) and has basically been a nonfactor.

Asked if the surgery would, in effect, end his season, Ratliff said, "It's pretty much inevitable. You could say that." He said he was not relieved to have made the decision, considering it, too, to be inevitable. "It won't be too bad. They're not going to go too deep."

Left unsaid is what this means regarding any potential deal. Ratliff will earn roughly $11.7 million for his 44 minutes this season. He is on the books for the same amount next season. When the Allen Iverson trade talks reheated last month, Ratliff was part of the discussion, in part because of his hefty salary and in part because of the insurance should he retire because of an injury. (The Celtics would get the same benefit should he have to retire while still with the team.)

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he didn't even know Ratliff had made the decision. That's how much of a nonfactor Ratliff has been. The likable center simply hasn't been in the game plan. "I knew they were talking about it," Rivers said. "You kind of knew it was going there anyway."

Ratliff turns 34 in April. He appeared in 55 games for the Trail Blazers last season before getting traded to Boston on draft night along with Sebastian Telfair for Dan Dickau, Raef LaFrentz, and the No. 7 pick. Telfair and the pick (which turned into Brandon Roy) have both logged time, although Roy has been hurt. The other three? Ratliff has his 44 minutes of fame. LaFrentz has been only marginally more healthy, playing just 65 minutes over eight games, and Dickau has played just 105 minutes spread over 16 games. Neither LaFrentz nor Dickau played in Monday's game against the Celtics.

The Celtics left yesterday for Memphis prepared to face a very different Grizzlies team than the one they saw (and lost to) last month. Interim coach Tony Barone is 2-1 since replacing Mike Fratello and he has the Grizzlies running and gunning. "They scored 144 in regulation [Wednesday]," Rivers said. "Clearly, he's getting them to push the ball and take early shots. And that's pretty smart, seeing as how they're not a power team." Mike Miller has flourished in this style, particularly in 3-point shooting. In three games under Barone, Miller is averaging 30.7 points, shooting a mind-boggling 23 of 34 from international waters. Memphis has averaged 121 points under Barone . . . Al Jefferson was given the day off from practice yesterday. Why? "Hamstring. Birthday," Rivers said. Big Al turned 22 yesterday. His right hamstring has been bothering him, and, Rivers said, "That's a concern. We're going to have to watch that." Rivers did say he is enjoying watching Jefferson morph from a "confident scorer" to a "smarter scorer." He said the difference in Jefferson from last year is the proverbial "night and day." . . . Rivers said when he played for Pat Riley in New York, the Knicks coach was unyielding in his demand that players be at a certain body fat percentage. This came after Miami's Antoine Walker and James Posey were not allowed to play Wednesday night against the Clippers because they had not met targets established by Riley. "I noticed that Riley said that those guys were in the best shape of their lives," Rivers said. "And they are. But they are not in Miami Heat shape." When Rivers played for Riley, the team would bus into Manhattan, where they would be tossed into a water tank, fully submerged, and told to hold their breath for a minute. That was how body fat percentage was determined in those days. "I assume there are more sophisticated means these days," Rivers said.

Peter May can be reached at P_May@globe.com.