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With starters set, Ainge eyes reserves

The first 3 minutes 49 seconds of the exhibition season set the tone for the Celtics. Four starters were playing as they overwhelmed the Philadelphia 76ers in taking a 16-4 lead, signifying there will be continuity after last season's NBA championship run. Since that brief but dominant glimpse, the starters have seldom been on display together, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce sitting out an entire contest, Rajon Rondo missing the last two games with a minor ankle sprain.

The Celtics ended up losing that game to the Sixers, but the final three quarters, plus the final seven games of the exhibition season, became a laboratory for coach Doc Rivers to experiment with second-unit combinations and assess the progress of several reserves.

Most of those backups have passed the test so far. Returning reserves have displayed more poise, Gabe Pruitt has established himself as a backup point guard, and rookies J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker have fit in.

Now the Celtics (6-2 in the preseason) have to decide if anyone will be sent to the Development League and who will be on the inactive list for the season opener against Cleveland Tuesday.

"We have no idea what we are going to do with the D-League," general manager Danny Ainge said yesterday. "There are a lot of factors that go into it. It's a weekly process. We'll see how practice is going.

"Every player is unique and has different needs, so we are deciding if they need to stay with the team and get stronger or if they need to get game-time experience [in the D-League]."

Ainge said no determination has to be made immediately. Last season, Pruitt played for Utah in the D-League. This time, Giddens could be a candidate for a stint in the league, but might not spend as much time as Pruitt did.

"We can send players on a one-game basis," Ainge said. "If everyone stays healthy, we will probably utilize it."

The Celtics' second unit developed a chemistry quickly last season, following the example of James Posey. This time, Tony Allen and Eddie House are emerging as the leaders of the reserves. House led the team in preseason scoring (14.1 points per game), and Tony Allen was second (11.8).

"The reality is we have 11 of the top 12 players back from last year," said Ainge. "Plus we have J.R. and Billy. We have the same starters, and a lot of guys played well in the exhibition season."

Judging by the Celtics' performances, the players seem motivated.

"It's very encouraging. There are no signs of complacency," Ainge said. "Two days after we won it last season, Rondo was in here taking shots. A month and a half after the season, Paul came back and he was 5 or 10 pounds lighter. These are all good signs."

Rivers planned to focus on the upcoming season by attempting to eliminate references to the Celtics' victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. That tactic failed, though, and Rivers believes the team's full concentration on this season will start only after the players receive rings before the opener.

"Once we get the rings, last year is over," said Rivers.