Time Not On Humphries Side Yet

If Wallace is a fireball that maybe talks TOO much to the media, Hump has been the consummate professional despite the fact that his minutes have taken a MUCH bigger hit than Wallace's.


http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2013/11/time_not_on_kris_humphries_side_yet



Time not on Kris Humphries’ side yet

Friday, November 8, 2013 )
By:  Steve Bulpett, Celtics Notebook
 


WALTHAM — Brad Stevens is learning to deal with what every NBA coach must as he takes the step from the college game. But beyond the longer schedule and longer games and a schedule designed by the Marquis de Sade Travel Agency, the Celtics leader has yet another challenge.

While most coaches don’t need to worry much about the end of their bench because it’s inhabited by raw youngsters who aren’t ready for prime time (think Fab Melo and Kris Joseph last year), the Celts have veterans who’ve been largely on the outside of the rotation looking in.

Twenty-two-year-old Kelly Olynyk and 21-year-old Jared Sullinger are regulars, and Stevens has been looking to get Phil Pressey, 22, more time. Twenty-five-year-old rookie center Vitor Faverani is in the mix, and Avery Bradley, 23, is a starter.

That means people like Kris Humphries and Keith Bogans and young (25) but ready MarShon Brooks have mainly been spectators. The situation came about because the Celtics had to take back good-sized contracts from Brooklyn to balance Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett’s trip in the opposite direction, and it’s left the locals with some guys, including Gerald Wallace, 31, who are almost certainly not part of the long-term solution.

“First of all, there just hasn’t been separation, so we haven’t been able to say clearly on a given day that Player A is better than Player B,” said Stevens before taking his team south for a back-to-back in Orlando tonight and Miami tomorrow. “But the old guys have handled it great.

“The most respect I can have for an athlete is somebody who sits and comes in — and doesn’t know they’re coming in, and does their job well. Hump’s play (Wednesday) night was a great example of that. Keith Bogans every day is a great example of that.

“I hope that those guys all get their chances on the court. I do. But you can only play five at a time, and right now the guys that are playing are the guys that are playing the best.”

Humphries is dealing with having played in just two of the first five games by narrowing his focus. He doesn’t want to hear that he is in an “it is what it is” situation.

“I don’t look at it like that,” he said. “I look at it like I’ve got to prepare myself to help my team whatever way I can. I can’t read into all that stuff.

“If you’re a professional, you’ve got to do your job. That’s preparing yourself to play, whether you’re playing or not playing. We’re all trying to do that.”

He will keep any disappointments to himself.

But someone is bound to be disappointed when the minutes are doled out.

“Kris Humphries is a good player,” said Stevens. “He’s a guy we had at the 5 (center) a little bit early, which is out of position. He’s a 4 (power forward). But our 4s are really good. Our 4s are some of our better players, Kris included. So you’ve got (Brandon) Bass who’s one of our leading scorers, and Kelly is playing fantastic. So those are the two 4s. Jared’s a more natural 4, and our offensive numbers are the best with him in out of anybody on our team. So it’s a hard deal.”

Coach last to know

It was news to Stevens when he was told by media after practice that, according to Danny Ainge on a 98.5 FM radio interview yesterday morning, Rajon Rondo, coming off ACL surgery, had been cleared for one-on-one contact, but not the 5-on-5 stuff.

“He didn’t do anything more today contact-wise than he has done,” said the coach. “But we didn’t do a contact-filled practice either. I had not heard that.”

Stevens: Wallace fan

Wallace has been quite up-front when asked direct questions, but that has not, to any great degree, disturbed Stevens, who appreciates the veteran’s way.

“I’ve really enjoyed coaching Gerald,” Stevens said. “I think one of the things I enjoy about him is he’s very authentic. He’s very frank. He’s very easy to coach. He plays his heart out.

“My wife will tell you, when I first met Gerald, I said from Day 1 that’s my type of guy in a lot of ways. First and foremost, I appreciate his blue collar attack on the basketball court.”



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