He's a team player, he works hard in practice, he's a great defender and he doesn't demand the ball on offense. And for all his scowling on the court, Perk's actually quite a funny guy off it, once telling reporters that the NBA's new "aggressive gesture" rules on technical fouls is unfair because, "I look mean anyway. Right now, you're looking at me, do you think I'm mad?" He, of course, looked mad.
In many ways, Perkins personifies ubuntu — the mantra that helped lead the Celtics back to the Promised Land in 2008.
So when the big man came back early from a torn ACL, his teammates praised him for his work ethic, noting the Texas native was a big part of their goals.
"He is always the guy that has been the hard-hat, lunch-bucket worker on the team," Ray Allen said Jan. 25, the day Boston's former starting center returned. "Him coming back has a great symbolism to it. We know what we are trying to get back to."
And when Danny Ainge and the C's front office pulled the rug out from under Perk — the reaction was equally emotional.
"A tough day to play basketball," Kevin Garnett said after an embarrassing 89-75 loss in Denver on Thursday — the day Perk was traded to Oklahoma City, along with Nate Robinson, in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. "A very tough day to play basketball. To even concentrate, to be bluntly honest. It's not even about a teammate, it feels like we lost a family member [Thursday]."
Paul Pierce did an equally poor job of hiding his anger with Boston's front office.
"It's tough, man," the captain said. "For some of the guys, being around Perk — me, [Rajon] Rondo, KG and Ray — we've all got pretty good ties with Perk. A lot of guys are really emotional to see him go. It's a tough situation, it's a tough business, but you saw how the business works all in one week."
That thinly veiled anger showed in the way the Celtics played Thursday night. Yes, they suited up just nine guys (two of whom were Chris Johnson and Avery Bradley), but one couldn't help but wonder if that late 16-0 run allowed by the Celtics was a message to Ainge and the Boston brass for shipping off their brother.
They seemed deflated and disinterested, shooting 39 percent from the field and giving Denver 52 rebounds to their 38.
Perhaps Saturday night's performance against the Los Angeles Clippers was a building block for a team that will need to yet again dig deep into its bank of resilience. After coming out just as sloppy and depressed as they were two nights before, the Celtics surged in the second half to overcome a 47-40 halftime deficit and get a stop-the-bleeding 99-92 win on the road.
Green scored seven points to Krstic's nine. The center added six rebounds, all offensive.
"The good thing about it is that we have 25 games left," Pierce said after the game. "Hopefully that's enough time to implement them into what we're trying to do, and tonight wasn't a bad start."
Read between the lines, and it could appear that Pierce is saying, 'Perk was already implemented, and we were within a quarter season of winning another championship. Why do we have to start from scratch with new players?'
At the end of the day, these guys are professionals. Their window (at least for Paul, Ray and KG) for a second championship is very tight.
If they can get a couple of items in order, the C's can pick up where they left off before the trades.
1. Krstic has to learn Boston’s defense. Better yet, he has to learn defense, period. It's obvious that ballers across the pond don't place much emphasis on that side of the ball. KG has to whip him into shape, much like he was doing with Semih Erden (before he was shipped off, as well, for a second-round draft pick).
2. Shaquille O'Neal has to get and stay healthy. Sorry, but even with plenty of tutelage from Garnett, Krstic isn't going to cut it against the Dwight Howards and Andrew Bynums of the world. Shaq has played in just 36 games this season, and was hobbled in most of those. Now nursing an Achilles' injury, he's due back Wednesday against Phoenix. Boston will need a solid 12-18 minutes from him per game to have a realistic shot at the title.
3. In case Shaq’s not up to the task, Ainge needs to redeem himself and land another big man for insurance. Word is Troy Murphy, who was just bought out by Golden State, could be the answer, though the Miami Heat are also in the running for his services. At 6-foot-11, the offensive-minded Murphy could add depth to a Boston front-court that just went from best to mediocre.
That's the reality of life after Kendrick Perkins. Fewer scowls, less depth and less length — but the Celtics have no choice. The NBA is a business and they're paid ridiculously well to play within its rules. Despite it all, they must find a way to win.
