Short on patience: Rookie Perkins is eager to play

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Short on patience: Rookie Perkins is eager to play

by Mark Murphy
Thursday, July 17, 2003







Virtually everyone's assumption, from the moment Kendrick Perkins decided to
leave high school for the NBA, was that the 6-foot-10, 18-year-old would fall
into the league's ever-expanding project category.




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That's project, as in a raw talent that will need a good three to four seasons
before the oven timer goes off.

Just ask Jermaine O'Neal or Tracy McGrady. Even the great 18-year-olds have
needed extra time.

But the ``P'' word still bothers Perkins - rubs his ambition the wrong way.

``In my mind, I know I can play,'' said Perkins, who missed last night's
Reebok Pro Summer League game against San Antonio with a sore ankle. ``Just
see where my game is without that, and let me work on my game from there.''

At this embryonic point the learning curve has certainly cooperated.

With two summer league games under his belt, Perkins has proven to be a fast
learner.

``At first he had difficulty with his footwork on left-handed layups, and now
he's already at the point where he can drive it in left-handed, and he's also
worked on his left-handed hook,'' said Celtics coach Jim O'Brien. ``He's a
very hard-working kid with a real good ability to learn from instruction, and
learn very quickly.''

There are also elements in Perkins' game that already stand out.

``I like his outlet passes,'' said director of basketball operations Danny
Ainge. ``That's sort of a lost art in the game today, and I love his. He
really has a desire to learn and work.''

Fine, then. Start the game.

``They say I'm a project, but I think I'm showing them a little more than
that,'' said Perkins. ``(Ainge) comes over and says, `Great job, I like your
outlet passes,' and these are things that they didn't think I had in my
game.''

That said, there will clearly be a wait.

The Celtics re-signed backup center Mark Blount yesterday, leaving Perkins
with a lot of ground to cover before he starts earning quality minutes.

``He has his work cut out, because we could have (Tony) Battie, (Vin) Baker
and Blount all on the team with him, but also with him able to do something
about it,'' said O'Brien. ``I don't think he's intimidated one bit by what
he's facing out there. He believes in himself, because he knows how hard he
works.

``He's not of the mindset that he's a high school kid, and because of that
he's willing to wait for things to happen.''

Indeed, Perkins can sound downright impatient - though not in an impractical
sense - when evaluating his immediate opportunities as a Celtics rookie.

``Coach O'Brien told me that you earn your minutes on this team,'' said
Perkins. ``They drafted me to be an inside presence, and even though I know
I'm just getting started, but there are things I can do.

``My job is to rebound and block shots, and I'm happy with doing that,'' he
said. ``I have a role to play. I have to work on my defense, and I'm doing
whatever it takes to succeed here.''

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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