Celtics newcomer Jason Terry is 35 years old, but he doesn’t
feel like he is.
Boston signed the shooting guard and former Sixth Man of the Year to a three-year contract in July, hoping he could provide some
firepower off the Celtics' bench. Terry has scored 23 points through Boston’s
opening two exhibition games in Turkey and Italy, and was quick
to credit his new coach Doc Rivers for how good he feels.
"Not at all," Terry replied when asked if he feels 35. "It's
amazing what Doc is able to do with these practices and monitoring the older
guys, and just making sure that we stay fresh."
Terry joins Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Chris Wilcox as
players on Boston's roster who are at least 30 years old. Although taking it
easy on some of the veterans early in the preseason may seem the natural thing
to do, Terry says that Rivers really has them working hard.
"It hadn't been a training camp like this for me since I've been
in the league, where I had went home at night and just laid in the bed and just
died," Terry said. "I'm going home at night and doing extra treatment, but I still
come back the next day fresh, and ready to compete at a high level."
As long as Terry can replicate the 15.1 points per game that
he averaged last season with the Dallas Mavericks, he can go home and sleep all
that he wants after Rivers' practices.
