As expected, the Celtics have gotten tremendous production so far this postseason from the four All-Stars anchoring their starting lineup. The bench, though, has been another story. And the leader of that bench is taking responsibility.
"I still haven't played the way I need to play for our team," Glen Davis said at Saturday's practice. "You guys haven't seen the real Big Baby yet in playoff time. I don't care if we're up 3-0, I'm still trying to get out there and make it happen for our team."
Davis is right. His play so far in this first-round series with the Knicks has been uninspired, to say the least. He's shot 5-of-16, most of it coming on contested mid-range jumpers, and he's averaging a mere 3.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. For a guy who placed high in the Sixth Man of the Year voting earlier this week, that's not enough.
"We need him," coach Doc Rivers said candidly. "He can play better. I can help him play better. I told him I was going to keep trying to do that, as long as he kept up his end."
Rivers has leaned on his starters a lot in this series. In three games so far, the older Kevin Garnett has played 103 minutes to Davis' 72. Rivers hasn't been able to trust Davis in close games. The Celtics are surviving for now, but Big Baby's no-shows may become an issue if they continue deeper into the postseason.
Davis is supposed to be a vital cog in the Celtics' machine, a possible crunch-time center depending on matchups and game situations. But at the moment, he's looking too preoccupied with his own performance to focus on winning team basketball.
"When you struggle and play bad, you're down on yourself," Rivers said. "That's human nature. But he still has confidence, and he'll be fine.
"When you start thinking about what's wrong, you usually play poorly. When you just play reactively, with your instincts, you're probably a pretty good player. That's what he has to get back to doing."
