C's veterans get extra day off ahead of busy schedule

WALTHAM, Mass. (WHDH) -- The Celtics got back to work after taking Sunday off, but the weekend rolled on one more day for some of the veterans.

With another packed schedule looming at the end of the week, rest is the name of the game -- and that goes for coaches as well.

It wasn't hard to notice the Celtics were looking and acting a lot younger Monday.

“We let the older guys, the guys that are 35 and above, get another day off so they can rest their bodies so that’s all,” said Courtney Lee.

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry got the day off. Leandro Barbosa was out due to illness, and even Doc Rivers stepped away from teaching, leaving assistant Armond Hill as Monday’s substitute.

“Doc told us on the plane ride back what we were going to do. He told us that the coaches had to get together, work on the different drills that we wanted to get worked on,” Hill said.

While the Celtics were missing Doc plus four, their number one guy, Rajon Rondo, returned from a two-game suspension, which may have rejuvenated Courtney Lee's game.

“That would help anybody out because you know you’re out there playing a lot of minutes so you can play through your mistakes, you can play aggressively and you’re going to have a lot of reps at it,” Lee said.

And the Celtics took plenty of reps trying to find their rhythm, which according to Jeff Green, is also a no show.

“We ain’t got no rhythm right now. We just got to continue to work,” said Jeff Green.

Jeff Green described Monday’s practice as “weird” and “a lot quieter” with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett absent. But it was a much-needed day off as the Celtics enter their second of three straight weeks with three games in four days.