Kendrick Perkins Returns in Time for Boston Celtics' Four-Game Road Trip
Boston now has its starting five back intact—it couldn't have happened at a better time and Doc Rivers is excited about it.
The Celtics started their four-game west coast trip with a jarring victory over the Portland Trailblazers. The Rose City inhabitants gave the boys in green a prickly welcome and were determined to send a message. In the end Boston prevailed and Kendrick Perkins was an intricate part off it.
Perks' confidence in his surgically repaired knee was especially evident when he played perfect position defense. He got caught in a mismatch on the perimeter guarding Rudy Fernandez and forced the Portland guard into a turnover.
The Beast was back! Kendricks return allows Doc Rivers to run offensive sets that no other non-starter can execute and provide the added benefit of the defense moving on a string.
Just in time too with the Sunday matchup with the reigning NBA Champs Los Angeles Lakers looming at the end of a tough four game swing.
Both teams’ centers are recovering from offseason surgery; though Andrew Bynum is further along in the process than Perkins. It doesn't matter now; they will be on the court as Boston's starting center returns to the scene of his most bitter defeat and season-ending injury.
Bynum is gaining the lift back in his legs and his length has always bothered the Celtics. Add Pau Gasol to the mix and it gives L.A. 14 feet of length to battle Boston down low. Kobe and company also have a very versatile 6'10" player in Lamar Odom coming off the bench. Glen Davis will find it difficult to stop Odom when he can start and finish a Laker fast-break by himself. Therefore, it makes the ever improving Semih Erdin the wild card in this match-up.
Erdin will be called upon at times to play defense against Gasol. He has shown steady improvement and has learned that playing hard on both ends of the court will keep him on the floor. Gasol will use his veteran tricks on the rookie but he will learn from the battle and tutelage off Kevin Garnett.
Through it all, Shaq is there to get his two minute spot-up duty on Andrew Bynum; who knows, he might even morph into the Superman of old as a prelude should they meet in the Finals .
The key figure here is Kendrick Perkins together with KG he forms the backbone of the Celtic defense. When they are locked in it makes for a very long night for the opponent. He played seven more minutes than his season debut. This shows that Boston’s medical staff and the team are confident that he has made a full recovery.
