Asked if Kevin Garnett will continue to start at center after the additions of rookie Fab Melo, veteran free agent Jason Collins and most recently former No. 2 overall NBA draft pick Darko Milicic, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said, "That's a question that Doc [Rivers] will have to answer."
Well, Rivers wasted little time clearing up that inquiry.
"He'll still be a five," the Celtics coach said from a Shamrock Foundation charitable golf event at The International in Bolton. "I don't think Kevin cares as much as he says. I think Kevin just wants to win. If I told him he had to play point, and we would win the title by him doing that, he would give it a try. I just think that's who Kevin is."
Despite his success in the role throughout the second half of the year and into the playoffs, Garnett repeatedly voiced his dislike of playing center last season after injuries to Jermaine O'Neal and Crhis Wilcox forced him into the position. While Ainge left the door open for Garnett's potential return to power forward should Melo, Milicic or Collins emerge as a reliable starter, there doesn't appear to be a better option at center for the C's at this point.
"My guess is that that's how they'll start the season, depending on how those guys play," said Ainge. "Like I said, all those names I just mentioned, one of them earns a spot, and then things could be tweaked. There's nothing set in stone."
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