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.

The Celtics are interested in acquiring the Phoenix Suns’ Mickael Pietrus, according to Mickael Pietrus. (L’Equippe, via HoopsHype)

“A lot of teams are interested in me, like the Lakers or the Celtics,” said Pietrus. “This came from the best player in the world: Kobe Bryant. He told me two months ago that he would like to see me with the Lakers.”

Trading for Pietrus would fulfill the plan I have advocated since day one. The Celtics could sign-and-trade either Glen Davis or Jeff Green to Phoenix, freeing themselves from committing long-term money to an average player (assuming, you know, that Phoenix wants Davis or Green). Pietrus would then come to Boston, where he would presumably help for a season (if that season even exists). After the season his contract would expire, leaving the Celtics with all the cap space they have worked so hard to create. Perfection.

Meanwhile, all of this Pietrus talk reminds me:

Certain players bring me to my knees with a debilitating, but sometimes irrational, fear.

When Jason Maxiell was in his (admittedly short-lived) prime, I was positive he would destroy my Celtics every night. I don’t know his stats against the Celtics during that period. My only evidence is my memory, which tells me that Maxiell was an Incredible Hulk who dunked against the Celtics every single time he touched the basketball.

John Salmons entered a similar zone during the 2009 playoffs. Rationality told me Salmons would miss approximately 60% of his shots. My fears told me he would miss one out of one hundred, if my Celtics were lucky. Other players rest in that zone more permanently. Derek Fisher could be 85 years old, but if his wrinkly body releases a three-pointer during a playoff game, I will still know it’s going in.

Mickael Pietrus inspires the same fear, and in his case that fear is not irrational—at least not entirely. In 14 games against the Celtics, he has shot 42.9% from the three-point arc. In my memory, many of those trifectas came from the corner, with a defender draped all over him, the score tied, and Pietrus fading away from the basket to get barely an inch of separation. Swish. My memory could be slightly misleading, but if it is, Pietrus made it that way. He hit shots against the Celtics and he hit big shots. His threes halted Boston’s runs and kept Orlando’s runs going.

Pietrus doesn’t play quite as well against every other team, but he can shoot (he has shot 35.9% or better from three for the past five years). That he also defends reasonably well (at least by reputation) makes me think Pietrus would fit admirably in Boston. He knows his role, he has played for defensive-minded teams before, he has played along stars, and he plays well coming off the bench. If the Celtics do trade for him, I’m on board.

If the Celtics end up beating the Orlando Magic in the next round, it might be because Orlando has no proven crunch time scorer.  Vince Carter is their best option late in games, and the only thing he’s won in his career is the disdain of every basketball purist in the country. 

Here’s a poll from the Orlando Sentinel about the Magic’s most trusted fourth-quarter performers:

In a close game, Orlando can no longer rely on Hedo Turkoglu to make plays and make good decisions.  Now the ball will be in Vince Carter’s hands and I’m not sure that’s a good thing for Orlando.

Notice how Dwight Howard only got one vote?  THAT is why he hasn’t been named MVP, Stan Van Gundy.  It isn’t that the media is committed to giving Lebron James the trophy every season, it’s that Dwight can’t get it done in the clutch.  He’s a fantastic player, but you can’t dump the ball down low to him when the going gets tough.

I don’t trust Dwight with the ball in crunch time, and I don’t trust it in any other Magician’s hands either.  That’s a very good thing, especially when the Celtics have a few proven clutch scorers of their own.