<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <span class="articleBegin">R</span>OME - When you look at the Celtics<font color="#888888"> [team stats]</font> roster, it’s hard not to notice the big names. When you watch the Celtics practice, it’s impossible not to notice how much trouble people like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce<font color="#888888"> [stats]</font> and Ray Allen are getting from the second team.</p> With James Posey stepping to the fore, the bench now has a defensive identity that should serve the club well. Posey, Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine have been getting after it through the first two days of training camp in Italy, making for a more competitive exercise. As a matter of fact, things were going so well that coach Doc Rivers canceled last night’s scheduled walk-through session at the hotel.</p> “They were sluggish (Sunday),” Rivers said. “But I thought they were great (yesterday). It was a really good practice.”</p> .....</p> Posey has done a good job of both establishing his own presence and giving Garnett and Pierce a hard go.</p> “He’s very competitive, very tough,” Garnett said. “He doesn’t just play defense. He knows how to defend. You know what I mean? Some people just defend because they hustle. He actually understands how to defend. It’s refreshing. It’s a good addition to this team.”</p> Garnett added that it’s a nice feeling when such a potentially key weapon is coming off the bench - a sign that a team has good depth.</p> “It’s a nice weapon to have,” he said. “Doc has a couple of different ways he can do things with this team. It’s definitely a plus for us. (Posey) makes us more diverse, plus he has the championship experience. He’s been in tough games.”</div></p> Source: Boston Herald</p>
Posey was a huge pickup for this team. His versatility, defensive presence, and experience is going to mean a lot.</p>
