Marquis Daniels experienced some migraine headaches since Boston’s last game, but feels “a whole lot better” now and could play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.

I’ve never had migraines myself, but they sound quite awful. (Boston Globe)

“I feel a whole lot better,” Daniels said. “Bad migraines. Darkness, no sound, it was awful. I feel a lot better now. It was the first time I’ve ever had it.”

Though I’ve never personally experienced a migraine headache, I once took advantage of a high school teacher who did. There’s nothing better as a student than having a substitute teacher, so when I learned of one Latin teacher who experienced bad migraines that caused her to miss school for approximately one week out of every month, I instantly signed up for that class.

It was Latin I, meaning I was a senior taking a class with a bunch of freshmen, but I didn’t care. For one week every month, I walked into class and saw a teacher I barely knew and who definitely didn’t know me. I would immediately put my head down on the desk and close my eyes. Shortly later, dreams would take over my brain and a puddle of drool would inevitably form a moat around my mouth. Simply put: Best. Class. Ever.

Not to continue dulling you with stories of my past idiocy, Daniels also discussed his poor shooting. The small forward is shooting 27.1 percent, hasn’t yet made a single 3-pointer and is shooting a mind-boggling 43.8 percent on shots at the rim (compared to 68.0 percent from the same area of the floor last season).

“I just need to get in the gym more, keep working on my shot,” he said. “Just keep trying to get better, regardless of me being ill or whatever. I just need to get my rhythm back, I need to get in here. It’s valuable for me. Those are shots I normally make. They are going to fall.”

New Boston Celtics wing Mickael Pietrus won’t just play tomorrow against the Dallas Mavericks. He also looked healthy enough during practice that he will not have any minutes restriction. (ESPN)

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he expects swingman Mickael Pietrus to be in the lineup on Wednesday after a “sensational” day of practice on Tuesday. “He looked great,” said Rivers. “Actually, he had a sensational day. He might have been one of our best players today, so that was good.” Rivers was confident enough in what he saw to suggest that there will not be a minute restriction on Pietrus in his debut.

I don’t know how fresh Pietrus is. His field goal percentage last season (39.2 percent) points out a person who no longer finishes easily in transition. He got run out of town in Phoenix, where director of basketball operations Lon Babby said of Pietrus’ time, “There’s an expression that, ‘All’s well that ends well.’ In this case, all’s well that ends.” He is coming off offseason knee surgery that caused him to fail a physical examination just last month, and he could only participate in practice during the last few days.

But I do know Pietrus can help with one of Boston’s biggest weaknesses: the Celtics’ primary backup wings, Avery Bradley and Marquis Daniels, have combined for one (ONE!!!) made 3-pointer during the team’s first eight games. The Celtics need a sub who can spot up on the perimeter and drill shots, and the Frenchman can do that.

P.S. – Daniels is likely out tomorrow with an illness. For better or worse, we should see a lot of Pietrus.

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe:

“Up and down, he’s getting beat up,’’ Rivers said when asked about Johnson’s progress in practice. “He’s excited when he actually gets the [scrimmage] refs to come on the floor, I’ll tell you that. But he did a couple of good things today. He’s starting to learn who he is. He knows he’s a jump shooter and he’s starting to become comfortable enough to take that shot.’’

“Today was the first day when he picked-and-popped, he caught it and shot it,’’ Rivers said. “The other two days he tried to make another play and got bumped off the spot, so I think he’s starting to simplify his game.’’

When asked if he expected Johnson to generate an interior game, Rivers said, “Nah. I mean, he’ll dunk because he’s athletic as heck, so we’re going to run stuff to get him rolling to the basket and throw it up in the air and he’ll go get it. But as far as post presence? Not really, but that’s fine. We don’t need that. We’ll try to get that somewhere else.’’ Read more »

After Marquis Daniels laid onthe court motionless Feb. 6 against the Orlando Magic and ultimately underwent surgery to his spinal cord, it’s unbelievable that he will return to an NBA basketball court at all. And he’ll almost certainly do so with the Boston Celtics. (Boston Globe)

(Editor’s note: Jessica Camerato’s piece on Marquis Daniels, from which these quotes were taken, is a good one. Check it out.)

Marquis Daniels feels better. Not the kind of better where he’s ready to play in an NBA game tomorrow (if there were NBA games tomorrow, that is), but the kind of better where — six months after being temporarily paralyzed — he can now shoot, lift weights and run, although he has not yet been cleared for contact. (CSNNE)

“I’m a guy I don’t get too high on the highs or too low on the lows,” he said. “If that was going to be it for me, I was willing to accept it. But I knew that I still had love for the game and I still could play, so I’m always going to work hard to try to get myself back to the things I love doing and get back on the court.”

It’s a message he sums up in less than 140 characters every time he tweets to his more than 30,000 followers. His signature #beleedat hashtag has taken on a special meaning since that afternoon in February.

“Basically whatever you believe in, it can happen,” he said. “With my situation, I know a lot of people probably think, ‘He’s done. He won’t be back.’

“But #beleedat I will be back.”

Daniels will consider the Celtics if and when he makes an NBA return, but the important thing is his health. He hopes to be cleared for contact drills this month, and the next step after that clearance will be how he handles taking a hit.

“I’ve got to see how I react to it first,“ he told CSNNE. “I know it’s going to hurt. . . . Once I get that first hit, that first bump, I’ll be ok.”

I don’t want to pour water on Daniels’ return. I don’t want to be the asshole who says, “Guys, returning from a sprained ankle is tough enough — returning from a serious spinal cord injury, after being temporarily paralyzed, when you still can’t participate in contact drills yet,” is almost impossible. But I’m going to be that asshole. Daniels faces steep odds to come back. I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t imagine suffering a severe spinal cord injury and then returning to full strength.

But I’ll be rooting for him. Beleedat.

I care that Jeff Green traveled to the White House to meet with a crew of wounded veterans called the Wounded Warriors. It’s a kind gesture from Green and obviously a wonderful cause. Green should be commended for his work in the community, and especially because he offered his time to soldiers who risked their lives for our country, soldiers who now need wheelchairs to play basketball.

But when it comes to rooting for basketball players (programming note: I’m going to sound quite cold-hearted in three… two… one…), I root for their athletic prowess and on-court mentality, not the extent of their community service. Hell, sometimes I don’t even need a reason to root for one player or root against another one. Cheering for sports teams and players can become confusing.

Producing on the court or on the field is the best way to earn praise. That’s why Albert Haynesworth has a chance to become a Gillette fan favorite, even though the former Pro Bowl defensive lineman is, by all accounts, a king-sized dunce. Judging by my Facebook feed, Chad Ochocinco has already become a fan favorite, the oversized personality with a smile as quick as his first step, even though he comes to Foxboro with a reputation as a locker room distraction. Manny Ramirez was a king in Boston until his oddities began to outweigh his fierce bat, Rajon Rondo’s a king although the Celtics once nearly traded him for behavioral issues, and fans could always overlook Glen Davis’s quirkiness until his production started to dwindle.

Then there’s Kevin Garnett, who could commit five or six murders and still be on my A-list of players to root for. I would even root for Garnett if he possessed all the talent of Mikki Moore, because Garnett plays the game like a lion would — you know, if lions could play basketball. Hell, he plays the game like Nicky Santoro.

Santoro was the muscle man in Casino. Watching that movie last night for the first time (I fell asleep in the middle of it, so don’t spoil anything — yes, I feel a little bit like my father when I pass out during the middle of a movie, and no, that’s never a good thing), I was taken aback when Santoro stabbed someone to death (or close to it) with a pen (I think), all because the person had called Santoro’s friend Ace Rothstein an asshole. I can’t quite envision Garnett stabbing someone to death with a pen (he prefers the ball-tap method of violence), but when Rothstein began to describe Santoro, I kept thinking of Number Five.

“You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat,” said Rothstein. “You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he’ll keep coming back and back until one of you is dead.”

Delonte West lives by the Nicky Santoro rules, too, and I don’t say that to open a discussion about his gun charges. I meant to say that West plays basketball by the Nicky Santoro rules. Celtics fans immediately forgave the lefty for his crimes, for allegedly meeting Lebron James’s mother for entertainment purposes (how’s that for a euphemism?), and for missing three quarters of the season due to injury. We forgave Delonte for all his past digressions because we knew that when Dwyane Wade beat Delonte with his fists during the playoffs, Delonte would come back with a bat. The bat might not always connect, but if Delonte goes down, he goes down swinging (pun intended). He’s no J.D. Drew.

As you already knew, choosing players to root for can be a complicated process. I liked Scal because he was goofy and I disliked Andrew DeClerq for the same reason. I liked Stephon Marbury because he was interesting and outspoken, but Sam Cassell’s personality bothered me to no end. I disliked Nate Robinson for his “whenever and wherever” shot selection, but I still hold a soft spot in my heart for Antoine Walker. I loathed Tony Allen because he took too many chances and I was lukewarm on Marquis Daniels because he didn’t take enough.

Maybe I should like Jeff Green because he helps wounded soldiers, and I definitely admire what he did. But when it comes to rooting for sports figures, I prefer Nicky Santoro to Mother Teresa. Or sometimes, I just prefer Scal.