<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">WALTHAM, Mass. -- Ryan Gomes was surprised when a request was made to the Celtics that he be made available for an interview this week, especially with newcomers Wally Szczerbiak and Michael Olowokandi having just been acquired by Boston. "I wasn't traded," said Gomes. No, he wasn't. But while last Thursday's Boston-Minnesota deal -- to most observers -- featured the Celtics and Timberwolves switching wing players (Ricky Davis for Szczerbiak) and dumping salary (Mark Blount), for Gomes it had meaning, as well. That's because one of the four players Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge sent to the Twin Cities was second-year forward Justin Reed. And to some, Reed and Gomes were interchangeable parts, although Reed hade been getting most of the work in recent weeks. So, without Reed around, Gomes could move up on the team's depth chart. He wants to seize his opportunity. "I do think that because we were playing the same position, we were fighting for minutes behind Paul (Pierce) and Ricky and Scal (Brian Scalabrine), so it's an opportunity for me and Scal to go out and play more minutes and show the different things we can do," Gomes said. "I was deactivated for eight, nine games, whatever it was. Now it feels good to know that I'll be suiting up and have an opportunity to get out there and play, because I (will) have a uniform on, so it gives me an opportunity to showcase my skills the second half of the season and hopefully do well and contribute to the team as much as I can." Gomes was on the inactive list from Jan. 4 until last Wednesday, when coach Doc Rivers swapped the rookie and Reed on the inactive list. Gomes didn't play in that game, a loss to Washington, but played 10 second-quarter minutes in the win over Sacramento -- the first game minutes he had gotten since New Year's Eve against the Clippers. When he entered the game against the Kings, the game inactivity showed. Don't call it nerves, however. "I don't want to say nervous. I was excited, but I think it was just . . . working out, you know, I work out after practice, but it's not game-like. It's game moves, but when you're out there, it's different," said Gomes. "So I think I was off the track a little bit in some of the things I was doing. In practice, we go up and down (the court), but we'll stop (for) teaching points or whatever, but in the game you have to play through certain situations and I'm comfortable with it, but I think I was just rushing a little bit because I was too excited." </div> Source
im glad gomes will be seeing more playing time. i was a big fan of his and i actually wanted the sixers to draft in the second round. lol. i have a feeling he will be a successful player in this league.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting phiLA:</div><div class="quote_post">im glad gomes will be seeing more playing time. i was a big fan of his and i actually wanted the sixers to draft in the second round. lol. i have a feeling he will be a successful player in this league.</div> Agree I really want to see Gomes get more playing time. I actually had him on my All-Rookie team at the start of the year so I'm curious to see how he can perform in the minutes he is given. I too wanted to Sixers to draft him over Louis Williams but that's a different story.
