Bench Vet Easy To Admire

by **bobheckler** Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:48 pm

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2013/12/bench_vet_easy_to_admire

It’s been easy to respect Kris Humphries. Last evening was but a glimpse of why he has earned the esteem of his teammates and all those around the Celtics these last several weeks.

Eighteen points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench in a 106-98 victory over Denver is relatively modest in relation to what he has done to make such a performance a possibility.

“I’ve been around him for about 21⁄2 years now, and he works every day,” Gerald Wallace said. “He works hard. He always keeps himself prepared. You never know when your opportunity is going to come. One thing about him is he’s always going to be prepared.”

Humphries has never been interested in engaging in conversations about being traded to a rebuilding team and having to play out the last year of his contract (and make the case for a new one) while having just a passing acquaintance with the main rotation.

What he has been interested in doing is going through lengthy sessions before games and after practices with assistant coach Walter McCarty. One can say he’s done what should be expected, but we’ve all been around long enough to know that isn’t always how it works.

“I mean, that’s just a true professional,” Wallace said. “He knows he’s not one of the key guys. He’s really not in the rotation, but his main thing is he’s staying healthy. He’s working out every day. He’s keeping himself in great shape, and, you know, it shows tonight.”

It has showed every day we’ve seen Humphries. Forget what preconceptions you had about this guy from reality television or splashy magazines; even in past years, we’ve always found him to be a good, earnest and open kid. How he got mixed up with . . . well, let’s not even go there.

He’s stayed the same this season even as he’s collected five DNPs. He’s done his job, been a positive presence and wondered why anyone would think that was strange. After making 8-of-11 shots and adding a needed element of toughness to the Celts last night, he tried to deflect a spotlight his play had earned.

“It’s not about me,” Humphries said. “It’s about beating a very good team that we really prepared for and knew that it was going to be a tough game. But we got out to a great start and the bench played great when (the Nuggets) brought it back in the third, and we were able to close it out.”

Even when he accepted the fact that his attitude and work ethic are what made last night possible, Humphries tried to include a mate.

“You’ve got to be in shape,” he said. “My rookie, Phil Pressey, I made him run some 17’s with me yesterday, so he gets some credit for me being in shape, running with me and being there.

“It feels great,” he responded to the next attempt to get him to talk about himself, “because you practice and you practice and you cheer your team on, and everyone in this locker room wants to contribute. Everyone in here can contribute. So when you get your opportunity, you’ve got to make the most out of it.”

Then Kris Humphries praised his teammates some more.

Even when asked to discuss the kind of year he’s had, he passed the rock.

“When we’re winning and stuff, I don’t like to focus on me and where I’m at,” he said. “We’re at the top of the division, so that’s what’s important. Whether my role is no minutes, five minutes, 20 minutes or more, I’ve got to contribute. It’s not about me, so I don’t really want to answer that question.”

Across the room, former and current teammate Wallace understood fully what was happening here. He knows Humphries was never really a candidate to bemoan his lot.

“That’s not his personality,” Wallace said. “I think a lot of people are trying to push him to that edge, but knowing Kris, that’s not his personality. He’s not going to demand a trade. He’s not going to blow up and go all off in the media. The thing he’s going to do is keep working hard every day and continue to get better as a player and wait for his opportunity.”

Kris Humphries hasn’t always gotten Brad Stevens’ call, but he does have Stevens’ admiration. The coach noted Humphries’ patience.

“It’s hard, too,” Stevens said. “It’s easy to be the guy talking about it. It’s easy to be the guy that is paying attention to it. It’s hard to be the guy going through it.”

Even harder to get Kris Humphries to admit it.

bob

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