There are times when Glen Davis wants it all and he wants it now. In a perfect world he’d be a starting power forward, getting 10-15 shots a game and putting up big numbers. The memories of his run as the Celtics power forward during the 2009 playoffs still run strong with Davis.

But what Davis is coming to realize is that he does have it all. He has it right now on this team, with this role. He is the Celtics' unquestioned sixth man, their most versatile and most important bench player. It’s the perfect situation for him. 

He backs up Kevin Garnett, yes, but he also plays meaningful fourth quarter minutes with the other starters. He can guard fours. He can guard fives and he can make their lives miserable depending on the matchups.

“That is his strength, exactly,” Doc Rivers said. “If you put an undersized big on him he’ll score in the post. He can step out and he can slide his feet with that size. That’s huge for us.”

Davis scored 15 points and had seven rebounds in their 110-86 win over the Utah Jazz Friday night (click here for a full recap). While there were other Celtics who put up bigger numbers, it was Davis who helped negate one of Utah’s greatest strengths (frontcourt versatility) and the one that had Rivers the most concerned heading into the game. 

“They bring in [Mehmet] Okur, they bring [Andrei] Kirkileno over to the four and Baby’s able to [handle] that,” Rivers said. 

When Garnett missed nine games with his calf strain, Davis stepped into the starting lineup and the Celtics were able to win six of those nine games. But by starting he was locked into one role and his overall game suffered as a result.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Davis said Thursday after the team’s practice. “I got out of myself and tried to be something [else]. That’s not how it works. You have to be yourself. I had a couple of good games, but as far as all-around games, the way I know I can play, I didn’t bring it. Now being on the bench, you get back to the same mentality.”

Davis is a sixth man as Red Auerbach envisioned the role. Not everyone can start, but only five can finish games. It takes a special kind of talent to play that role and Davis brings a wealth of unique skills to the job.

He can knock down the 15-foot jumper and he has found a way to score effectively inside this season. He’s realized the limitations of his height and is using his other attributes, such as quickness.

“It’s one of the good traits that I have as far as just being a little bit versatile cause of my foot speed,” Davis said. “I’m not a really athletic guy, going up.”

But, it was suggested, you’re quick off the floor. 

“Yeah,” he said. “That is a good trait.”

Glen Davis will never be a perfect basketball player, but he has found the perfect role on the perfect team to utilize his skills.

Here are three other points from an unexpected blowout.

SEMIH ERDEN IS STARTING TO GET IT

Rivers has been forced to play his rookies more than he probably would like this season, but for all the criticism that he is not a young player’s coach, he makes surprisingly few demands. Most of all he wants them to play hard.

Semih Erden found out the hard way that Rivers is inflexible on this matter, and as a result, he found himself behind fellow rookie Luke Harangody in the team’s on-the-fly big man rotation.

The nadir came a week ago when his inability to stay out of foul trouble forced Shaquille O’Neal to play 35 minutes against the Bobcats. Erden got another chance against Detroit and played well and he followed that up with a season-high 14 points and seven rebounds against the Jazz.

“He played great,” Rivers said. “He was physical. He played hard. Again, when Semih just plays hard and does his job he helps us. Sometimes sitting down a little bit reminds you of that. It reminds you that you want to play.”

The Celtics are going to need him. Rivers said that Shaq’s hip locked up early in the game and he wound up playing just six minutes. Shaq will not play against the Wizards Saturday night, and he might be out even longer.

That means more time for Erden, who would likely start in Shaq’s place to keep Davis in his sixth man role. While it’s been a tough learning curve at times, Erden has flashed the ability to be an efficient scorer in the post. He’s also unafraid to mix it up inside, something that was evident to the other Celtics from the beginning of camp.

“He’s very good,” Garnett said. “I don’t think you guys understand how methodical he is with both hands.”

If Shaq is out for any length of time, once again the Celtics big man depth is going to be tested and Erden has put himself first in line to fill the void.

BETTER LIVING THROUGH BALL MOVEMENT

The Celtics shot 55 percent against the Jazz and had 31 assists on 37 made field goals. The two things are related, of course.

This team doesn’t have a lot of players who can create their own offense. Paul Pierce obviously can, although he is far more efficient when he doesn’t have to. Beyond Pierce, Nate Robinson and Rajon Rondo are really the only other Celtics players who don’t rely on the pass as a means for getting shots.

According to the numbers on Hoop Data, 63 percent of the Celtics offense comes via assists (only Utah and Dallas have slightly higher rates). The flip side of that is when they don’t pass – when the ball “sticks” in Rivers’ phrase – they have a difficult time scoring. (See the Detroit game for a perfect example).

“The guys that we have out there are an unselfish group,” Pierce said. “We are constantly making the extra pass, constantly moving the ball. When we do that we are a tough team to beat. That’s how we shoot a high percentage.”

THE RAJON RONDO-DERON WILLIAMS MATCHUP FIZZLES

Deron Williams picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and had to go the bench less than four minutes into the game. He got his third five minutes into the second quarter and was held scoreless in the first half.

Rajon Rondo, on the other hand, dished out 10 assists in 20 minutes and the Celtics had an 18-point lead at the half. It was unfortunate that another chapter in the great point guard debate was an early TKO.

Last season Rondo also dominated the matchup in Boston, while Williams got his revenge in Utah.

“Everyone has a memory,” Rivers said before the game. “If not we try to jostle it a little bit.”

It was no surprise that Rondo could be found intently watching video of that game in Utah before Friday night’s contest. Rondo didn’t talk after the game, which is becoming a habit with him, but he must have picked up on something because he led Williams directly into those two early fouls.

“That’s typical Dodo,” Garnett said employing one of his nicknames for Rondo. “He’s going to watch film, he’s going to know their sets, their calls and he was more than locked in tonight.”

The rematch is Feb. 28 in Salt Lake City.