When Shaq first injured himself, the injury was considered day-to-day. Two weeks later, the prognosis keeps getting worse, because Shaq’s injury simply won’t heal.

The other day, he showed up to the Celtics-Heat game… wearing a walking boot. The story gets worse. Shaq won’t play again before the All-Star break, and could miss the entire four-game Western Conference road trip after the break. (ESPN Boston)

“Shaq, honestly, it’s just not healing right now,” said Rivers. “We’re hoping after the [All-Star] break at some point, obviously. When he first injured it we all thought it was a one- or two-game thing, and now it’s been longer, and now it’s getting to the point where we’re not sure if he’ll play on the west coast trip or not. We’re hoping he will. Right now we think he will, maybe not every game, maybe we play him every other game, but if we had to play today, I don’t know if Shaq could play today.”

If Shaq keeps experiencing setbacks, I’m going to have to start calling him Jermaine. Speaking of the other injured O’Neal, the real Jermaine’s doing alright, all things considered.

“He’s doing great, honestly,” said Rivers. “I think he feels really happy that he did the surgery. You can tell it’s a race with him, because he wants to get back so he can try to help us.”

If it’s really a race, Jermaine’s obviously the turtle. Maybe a drunken turtle, because his progress (can I call it progress?) is slow, but not so steady.

Marquis Daniels will also take a while to return (if he can return this season). Doc Rivers has twice told reporters that Daniels will be out for awhile.

“They’re going to do an evaluation and then they’re going to have to make a decision on where they go from there,” said Rivers. “Guys, ‘Quis is not going to be back anytime soon.”

1. Shaq is questionable for tomorrow night, which means Perk could start. (ESPN Boston)

Shaquille O’Neal did not participate in Thursday’s practice with Rivers noting, “He’s 38,” as the reason for his absence. Rivers said O’Neal is questionable for Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. …

With Shaq questionable Friday, Perkins could be thrust into the starting lineup by default, a spot he’s seemingly nearing a return to, anyhow.

2. Doc Rivers thinks he should have four players voted to the All-Star team. Amen, Doc. (WEEI)

“I think I should get four guys on the roster,” Rivers said following practice Thursday. “If I don’t, I’d be very disappointed and if I do, I’ll just play them all together. That way we can run offense in the All-Star Game. That’d be a first.”

“If it happens, and let’s hope it happens, then my choice will be who will be the fifth, Some interesting combinations you can throw out,” said Rivers, before adding who he might throw out onto the court with his four players.

“Whoever is closest to free agency just so they can see how it would feel. I think it should happen. It’s clear. It’d be nice. You look at the four guys, all of them have really sacrificed their individual numbers for team wins and sometimes that’s held against them and I hope it’s not in this case.”

3. Kendrick Perkins loved Ray Allen’s halftime outburst in Sacramento. (WEEI)

Ray Allen ripped into the second unit at halftime of Tuesday’s victory over the Kings. Perkins said he was surprised but pleased with the veteran’s rare outburst. “I was very shocked,” Perkins said. “Because you know, Ray is a guy who very seldom shows emotions. I think he’s always one of the most poised guys on the team. So, he was very frustrated at halftime, and he had a reason to be. I actually was shocked, but I actually was like, ‘Yeah, Ray!’ I loved it. First I thought it was KG when I walked in. But it was Ray, so I was loving it.”

4. Jessica Camerato’s great piece on Avery Bradley’s development. (CSNNE)

As Bradley continues to improve with the Red Claws, the Celtics are never out of mind. He also speaks with Ainge on a regular basis — “He’s just so positive with me and it really helps me out a lot. He just really wants the best for me,” Bradley said — as well as members of coaching staff, trainers, and teammates.

“I talk to one person on the phone, and somebody else is saying something in the background. Rondo’s always checking on me, sending me a text, seeing how I’m doing,” he said. “They were all happy that I got the chance to play. It made me feel good to know that my teammates are calling me, checking in on me. It just shows that they care.”

Of the Celtics, he talks to Nate Robinson the most often. The two hail from the Seattle area and have known each other since Bradley was in high school. They also sat next to each other in the Celtics locker room.

“He’s been telling me to play hard, just get my game back,” Bradley said. “That’s the main thing, just get my confidence back. He just told me to go out here and play hard. The main thing is my confidence level, that’s what he was so worried about.”

5. Should the Celtics bench Nate Robinson? (CelticsBlog)

Doc Rivers’ job, when it comes to coaching Nate Robinson, isn’t easy. In lieu of recent events, benching Robinson when West returns seems almost natural. But to bench Robinson means you won’t ever receive the fruits of his labor. You won’t have the days when he singlehandedly changes games in Boston’s favor. You won’t have a miniature weapon off the bench, who can, on a good day, light up the scoreboard like few other bench players can.

So yeah, benching Robinson might seem like a good option right now. But the Celtics would be better off if he can, somehow, find a way to play to his potential on a more consistent basis.

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

I never thought I’d say this, but Shaq has been a perfect team player. When he plays ten minutes, he doesn’t complain. When he only gets a couple touches, he doesn’t complain. This is a player who used to butt heads with coaches and teammates alike, who used to bitch about touches all the time. But he’s been exemplary in Boston, where he realizes he’s no longer his former self. (Yahoo!)

“You can’t beat the system. You have to join it,” Shaq said. “Even if I could, it wouldn’t be business-ly advantageous to act like that. So no, the system is always right. So whatever the system says you do, you just do it.

“I just enjoy still traveling, going to cities and having a good time. If Perk’s going to be in the starting lineup and I’m coming off the bench that’s fine with me.”

Many stars age poorly. Their pride and ego was part of what made them great to begin with, but when a player gets older and loses a step or two, that pride gets in the way. Think Allen Iverson. When he was one of the NBA’s best players, his ego helped him. He never thought he’d miss a shot. If he did miss, he shot the next one with all the confidence in the world. And the next one. And the next one. And so on. He considered himself the world’s best basketball talent, and it helped him because he played with an edge, a swagger. You don’t become so great without having a Pacific Ocean of confidence.

But as Iverson grew older, that confidence hindered him. How could he fit in as a role player, when he still considered himself an otherworldly talent? How could he take a back seat to O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley (Mike Conley!) when he still thought he could take any guard in the league? How could he ever fit in as a secondary player, when his ego told him he was still head and shoulders better than his teammates?

So Iverson couldn’t make the transformation to role player. He just couldn’t do it. But Shaq’s having an easier time. He’s okay with taking a back seat to younger players.

“Whatever they do to get me my shots, I’ll shoot at a high clip,” said O’Neal, who is averaging 5.5 shots per game. “But it’s not something I worry about. It’s all about winning, baby. Stats don’t matter. None of that [expletive] matters to me. I’ve been there and done that.

“I’m right behind my father, Wilt Chamberlain. I’m cool with points. I’m good. If I pass him up, I do. If I don’t, I’m cool.”

And please, don’t bring up Shaq’s legacy.

“I don’t worry about my legacy,” O’Neal said. “I look at it like this: There are certain guys that have legacies, and I’ve [expletive] tripled and quadrupled what the [expletive] they did, like Bill Walton. That’s how I look at it. Real talk. Everybody has a pen, so everybody’s going to say otherwise. But I know guys that got one [championship] and they got $60,000 speaking gigs off what they did 30 years ago. My legacy is straight. I don’t worry about it.

Let’s try to pretend like Shaq did not just take a shot at Bill Walton, which he very well might have done. What’s more important about that quote is this: Shaq’s ego still exists, and it’s still as big as ever. He’s fucking doubled and quadrupled what the fuck they did. That’s how he looks at it. Real talk. His legacy is straight.

But he’s trying to push aside that ego so he can fit in with a younger team, a talented team with big men galore and championship aspirations.

“It’s hard not being in charge for me. It really is. But I got to accept it,” O’Neal said. “This is a good team. I’m not the only Hall-of-Famer hopeful here.

“If I was on a [expletive] team, I’d be pissed right now. Two points? I would have [expletive] somebody up in the locker room.”

It’s hard, but Shaq’s accepting it. And that’s a good thing — scratch that, a great thing — for the Celtics. Otherwise, Shaq would have fucked somebody up in the locker room. Real talk.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Paul Pierce, who had 17 points, suffered what team officials are describing as a bruised right thigh injury. That diagnosis came shortly after coach Doc Rivers had initially believed Pierce suffered a knee injury. ‘Stuff that happens throughout the course of a game, bang knees, turn ankle,’ Pierce said. Knee. Thigh. It doesn’t matter. Pierce’s status is up in the air heading into Friday’s game at Phoenix. ‘Hopefully it doesn’t swell up too much,’ Pierce said. ‘It swelled up a little bit, but not too bad. Hopefully it’ll be all right for [Friday].’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “As he works his way back into the Celtics [team stats] lineup, planning to return tonight in Phoenix against the Suns, Shaq is taking full advantage of modern chemistry — at least the stuff allowed under NBA guidelines. He went heavy with the anti-inflammatory drugs to get through a shin and calf injury from a collision with Amare Stoudemire, though he had to slow down when he had an adverse internal reaction. And he recently took a shot of Synvisc, an arthritis medication, to help him with his troublesome right hip and general maintenance. ‘I got one in training camp, and I figured it was time to get another one,’ said O’Neal before last night’s 88-78 victory against the Trail Blazers. ‘It helps me get some lube in my hip.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “Since coming to the Celtics, Garnett has had to do less than his Minnesota days and his numbers have dipped across the board, but he has always been a willing passer. He flashed his skills in a stunning minute-and-a-half stretch in the third quarter when he assisted on four straight baskets. Twice he hit Ray Allen for open 3’s and he also hit Perkins for a dunk and Allen for a layup. Ironically, one of his greatest strengths has always been looked at as a weakness. Garnett was always so willing to make the pass – to make the right play – that some people questioned whether he wanted the responsibility of taking the shot himself. True to his nature, Garnett wouldn’t change for his critics. This, he believed, was the correct way to play the game and this was what he would do. Everyone else, frankly, could go to Hades and leave him alone. As much as Garnett has given Boston in his three and a half seasons here, we shouldn’t forget that we never got to see him truly at his best. For 90 seconds Thursday night, he gave us a glimpse.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “But in typical KG fashion, his impressive night statistically didn’t mean much. He was reminded that LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds, had a double-double in the first half. Garnett then reminded a reporter that Aldridge’s big game also came with an ‘L.’  ’I'm more into letters, than numbers,’ Garnett said. ‘All right?’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “The Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they were runners-up all the way around in the final fan balloting for the NBA All-Star Game starters. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce finished third and fourth at forward behind LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire; Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen were third and fourth at guard behind Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose; and Shaquille O’Neal came in second at center behind Dwight Howard. ‘To look at our record and to have no starters is surprising,’ Doc Rivers said before last night’s win against the Blazers. ‘But not really, because we’re such a team. We’re not a team where individuals will stand out, but I think because of the record they should stand out. Hopefully all four (Pierce, Garnett, Rondo and Allen) are on (as reserves). I think they should be, and we’ll see.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Rivers never harbored any concerns about minutes, roles, or egos. He left that to the fans. He hopes the second half of the season brings more normalcy regarding injuries, but the depth certainly helped make the first half a successful one. ‘I would prefer to have them all,’ Rivers said. ‘Then we could rest guys and we could do a lot of other things. Right now it’s working out that we have enough bigs. But I’m looking forward to the day where [having too many] becomes a problem. That would be great.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

Do you remember the scene in Cool Runnings, when the crowd all starts to get Jamaica fever?

The Jamaican team, led by Derice Bannick (and Sanka’s egg-kissing technique), is taking over the Olympic bobsledding track one surprisingly fast run at a time. Their push starts, aided by three near-Olympic sprinters and the best pushcart driver in all of Jamaica, allow the Jamaicans to fly down the ice, and not even a fat, former cheater of a coach can keep the world from falling head over heals for this lovable band of bobsledding rookies. The announcers discuss the increased adoration being thrown Jamaica’s way, ultimately unzipping their jackets to reveal their own Jamaica shirts.

“Ah, what the heck,” says one announcer. “Go Jam!”

I’m kind of like those announcers. I normally try to stay away from discussing college basketball in this space, but last night drew me in. Ah, what the heck. Go Jimmer.

But this post isn’t an ode to Jimmer Fredette — I imagine there will be enough of those written in the coming months. Fredette’s a certified star, a scorer without a conscience, a scorer who has yet to be stopped by any amount of double- (and sometimes even triple-) teams. If he hasn’t already (and, after last night, I suspect he has), Fredette will become this year’s Stephen Curry or Adam Morrison — a one-man show in a lesser league, destined to tear out opponents’ hearts while intriguing fans by the boatload. He’ll get his (well-deserved) shine this season, even if I don’t write a single word about him.

No, this post goes out to Fredette’s teammates. The selfless, gritty blokes who sacrifice shots and touches on a nightly basis, all so they can help their team win. The all-heart bastards who would rather pass the ball to their superstar teammate than shoot a lower-percentage shot themselves. The tough guys who throw their bodies around, who set mean screens for 40 straight minutes, who box out, who hedge screens, who dive on the floor, and who do it all with zero fanfare. Fredette’s teammates are the offensive linemen of college basketball. They help make winning possible, but never accumulate gaudy stats or the average fan’s adoration.

One thing last night’s BYU-San Diego St. affair reaffirmed is this: a team doesn’t need to have more talent to win; it just has to have pieces that all fit together. BYU wasn’t more talented than San Siego St. Not one through twelve, at least. If San Diego St. played BYU in a Ryder Cup-like string of one-on-one matches, San Diego St. would win every time. But this isn’t the Ryder Cup, it’s basketball, and so group synergy plays into the final results. BYU didn’t have more collective talent, but the Cougars have Jimmer Fredette, and they surround him with four players who all know their roles and remain committed to those roles all the time. On most nights, that synergy will be enough to win games.

Which (finally) takes me to the Celtics, and the NBA. There are certain teams that play beyond their individual capabilities. It’s difficult for me to say the Celtics are one of those teams, because they (still, even at their ages) have so much star power. But I’m going to say it anyway: these Celtics play better as a whole than they would as individuals. There’s something about “Rondo as distributor; Pierce as slasher/scorer/occasional playmaker; Allen as shooter; Garnett as provider of all things; and PerkShaq as big man/enforcer/occasional finisher/(hopefully) rebounder” that meshes perfectly. These Boston Celtics play off each other like Abbott and Costello. Which reminds me, Who’s on first.

The synergy I speak of is part of the reason James Posey didn’t play nearly as well once he left Boston. In Boston, the Celtics needed Posey to do only what he does best. He needed to defend, dive on the floor after loose balls, annoy the opponent, make open three-pointers, and, yes, hug his teammates before games. When his next teams (New Orleans and Indiana) needed playmakers, Posey could not oblige. That’s not his game; he can’t operate as a playmaker. Never mind that Posey has gotten older and lost a step (or two). Even in his prime, Posey fit best on good teams, teams that already had talented playmakers. Posey frees playmakers to make plays, and the playmakers free Posey to provide everything else. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, one that doesn’t work if a team doesn’t have enough playmakers.

Never mind that I just said the word playmakers 12 million times in a single paragraph. There are about 30 players in the NBA who would fit into any situation in the league.  Lebron, Wade, Kobe, Howard, Paul, and I refuse to list the rest, because listing 30 players is quite tedious. After the top 30 (or so), players only help matters when they fit in. Look at Hedo Turkoglu as perhaps the most obvious example. In Toronto, and I’ll put this mildly, Hedo sucked. In Phoenix, same thing. Now, back in Orlando, Turkoglu once again makes a positive impact.

Think about a player like “Old Shaq.” Either the Cavaliers didn’t know how to use Shaq last season, he simply didn’t fit into their system, or the players surrounding Shaq did not help him. Whatever it was, Shaq held the Cavaliers back. His mere presence not only made them worse, but a lot worse. Did Shaq have nothing left in the tank? No. We see now he can still help a team, but — at this stage of his career — Shaq’s a role player who has to be placed in the proper role to succeed. For players like Old Shaq, and most of the NBA, the situation has to be right. If you throw the wrong player into the wrong situation, what results is disaster.

The circle of life (or, in this case, the circle of a rambling post) leads me back to Jimmer and the Fredettes. If Noah Hartsock (one of BYU’s tall, tough bastards) played for North Carolina, he probably wouldn’t play a single minute. North Carolina isn’t ranked, but still has a stable of big men far more talented than Hartsock. Yet BYU, the country’s ninth-ranked team (and probably climbing), is perfectly content with Hartsock playing his role and playing it well.

When you see Hartsock, maybe you see a limited player who couldn’t score 20 points if he was left all alone, in a gym, for two straight hours. But me? I see pride. I see power. I see a bad-ass mother, thriving in the perfect situation, who don’t take no crap off of nobody.

Expecting a playing time controversy between Shaq and Perk? Neither does Perk. (OC Register)

“I mean, it shouldn’t be (any trouble),” he said. “Shaq has been great.

“Shaq’s goal is win a championship. He don’t care what he needs to do to get that at this point. He wants to win that fifth ring and get on up out of here. We’re trying for a championship. It’s bigger than the both of us.”

I wrote a piece about it for CelticsBlog, so check it out if you want.