‘Big Baby’ growing up
NBA. Kevin Garnett doesn’t shy away from calling Glen Davis “the personality of the Boston Celtics.”
Even if the rookie’s playing time was limited at the season’s outset, Davis was quick to make his presence known in the Celtics’ locker room. The 6-foot-9, 289-pounder sticks out for a number of reasons — his giant frame, baby face, quirky personality and, more recently, his energy off the bench.
But, get someone on the C’s to talk about him, and laughter immediately ensues.
“He’s a different bird in a good way,” Doc Rivers chuckled. “It’s actually pretty good to have in our locker room. It really is because you don’t know what’s going to come out of that mouth. It’s usually funny.”
“He’s fun to be around. He’s a funny guy, that’s all I can say,” said Paul Pierce, who was too consumed with laughter to continue.
Even with that, Davis isn’t just a goofy guy in a clown suit. He’s quickly earned his team’s praises, and that has translated into more playing time in recent weeks, a couple instances coming off the bench in Rivers’ first substitution package.
Under Garnett’s wing, Davis has displayed a tremendous energy at practice and is really immersing himself into the Celtics’ game plans.
“It builds confidence, and the most important thing is it builds trust in my teammates and my coaches,” said Davis, who is averaging 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 18.5 minutes per clip over the C’s five-game winning streak.
“If somebody trusts you, that means they believe in what you can do, that you can help the team. Then, you want to run through the wall. You want to do whatever it takes to let them know that I’m out there to help the team and to let them know I have their backs. That’s one of the main focal points for me is to help my team any way I can — loose balls, anything I can do.”
The few times Davis earned any notice in November were in the fourth quarter, when his mug showed up on the Celtics’ video boards while trying to rally the home crowd. The fans weren’t the only ones who noticed, as Garnett and Pierce were often seen hunched over laughing when the hilarious video played.
“They expect that from me,” Davis said. “That’s the type of guy I am. I like to have fun and stuff like that.”
It wasn’t until the Celtics’ overtime loss at Cleveland on Nov. 27, though, that Davis turned heads on the court for the right reasons. He played just six minutes, but scored eight points and pulled down a pair of rebounds, sparking the C’s in the second half.
Two nights later, Davis had 13 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes when Boston blew out the Knicks.
“Glen came in for about three minutes in Cleveland and really was an active body and helped out the second unit,” Pierce said. “I was like, ‘Man, it would be nice to see him get some extra minutes then.’ I was saying that to [Rajon] Rondo before the [Knicks] game, and you look up and he’s out there early in the game. He’s been big.”
Davis appeared to be little more than a throw-in when the Celtics acquired his draft rights along with Ray Allen from the Sonics in a June trade. The C’s sent Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and the rights to draft pick Jeff Green to Seattle.
Rivers hasn’t always been keen on playing rookies right away — Gabe Pruitt and Brandon Wallace have spent most of the season in the D-League — but Davis has made his case.
In the last two weeks, he has been nearly as valuable off the bench as James Posey and Eddie House.
It’s an opportunity Davis has relished — not just the expanded role, but the superstar cast he’s been asked to support.
“It’s a blessing,” Davis said of playing with Garnett, Pierce and Allen. “They’re talented guys. The way they play, knowing that they’re going to be Hall of Famers one day, and I was there on the same team as them, playing against them.
“It’s something to look back on and tell your kids about.”