LaFrentz lands on IL: C's big man needs time to heal right knee

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

LaFrentz lands on IL: C's big man needs time to heal right knee
By Steve Bulpett/Celtics Notebook
Saturday, November 15, 2003

The tendinitis in Raef LaFrentz' right knee hasn't responded to treatment, so
the Celtics decided to give their new big man a break to alleviate the
problem. They placed him on the injured list yesterday, activating rookie
Kendrick Perkins [news].

     ``Danny (Ainge) and I talked about it (Thursday) after consulting with Ed
(Lacerte, the trainer) and the tendinitis seemed to get aggravated over the
past week,'' said coach Jim O'Brien.

     There was a thought to let LaFrentz play last night, but when treatment
had him no better yesterday morning, the C's decided to start the five-game
minimum stay on the injured list. LaFrentz will be eligible to return for the
Oct. 26 game in Orlando.

     ``It's been really frustrating,'' said LaFrentz, sporting a left eye
shiner from Wednesday's loss to Chicago. ``I don't feel any explosion. I'm
able to move, but I can't move like I need to. When you start to think about
jumping before you do it, you realize it needs to be taken care of.''

     LaFrentz played just 15 and 17 minutes in the last two games, scoring a
total of 14 points.

     ``He's been playing at maybe between 60 and 70 percent of what we think
he's capable of,'' said O'Brien.

     As for how much he expects from Perkins, O'Brien said, ``Not a lot. He's
ready if we need him, but I do not intend to have him in the rotation.''

     C's fond of own `kid'Speaking of Perkins, the Celts were quite pleased
with their own 2003 high school grad on a night when the most celebrated
member of that class, LeBron James, was in town.

     ``You always wonder how quickly a high school guy's going to develop, and
I think in Kendrick's case I've been very impressed,'' said O'Brien. ``He's a
very focused young man. There's no messing around with him. He realizes he's
in a business and he acts accordingly.

     ``I see really great development in Kendrick, to the point that I think
he's going to be a factor sooner rather than later. I'm actually very
impressed with who he is as a kid and the way he goes about handling his
business.

     ``From what I hear and see - and let's throw LeBron out for a second - I
think Kendrick is a lot more mature than a lot of high school kids that come
out. I think he really has a sense about him that is not typical for someone
his age. I think it has a lot to do with the way he was raised by his
grandparents and the people that surrounded him. There's very little nonsense,
and he really has a good grasp on why he's here and what he has to do to
accelerate his learning curve.''

     Ainge is looking forward to the time when Perkins grasps the game well
enough to be the inside presence the Celts need.

     ``He's a tough kid,'' Ainge said. ``I mean, he is a tough, tough kid.
He's just got a lot to learn about the game. But emotionally he seems good,
physically he seems good - although we've got to get him stronger in his
overall body balance. We're just real excited about him.''

     Silas has a handleWhile most of the Cavalier attention has gone to James,
O'Brien thinks Cleveland's new coach - former Celtic Paul Silas - is the right
fit for the prized rookie.

     ``I think Paul's a perfect guy,'' O'Brien said. ``Paul was a great
player, has been with great organizations, is a tough-minded guy, a patient
guy.''

     Silas said he enjoys telling his Cavs about the two championships he won
with the Celtics.

     ``Yeah, he tells us all the time,'' James cracked. ``I'm getting kind of
sick of it.''
Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx