Ainge: Time for others to rise & shine

As the Celtics await word on Kyrie Irving’s latest knee examination, which is now scheduled for today, Danny Ainge continues to have a simple wish for these last few weeks of the Celtics’ regular season.

“Obviously for us right now, we just want to get everybody healthy and playing their best basketball,” he said. “Healthy and fresh, but also in a good place mentally, confidence in each other.”

The club’s president of basketball operations then raised the issue of resting people, but that would almost seem to be a moot concept, in that whoever’s healthy will have to play out of sheer necessity.

“You can’t do that by sitting out all the time,” Ainge said. “You have to play. You have to keep yourself in shape and sharp. We don’t want to wear anybody out by playing them too much, and that’s a fine line.

“That’s a tough job, because we want to still win games. We want to be playing good basketball and be healthy.”

The latest round of injuries — Irving’s lingering left knee soreness, Marcus Smart’s torn thumb ligaments, Jaylen Brown’s concussion, Daniel Theis’ knee surgery — are of additional discomfort because they came just as the Celts appeared to be getting it together with a 6-1 stretch.

“Yeah, it felt that coming out of the All-Star break we were exactly healthy and fresh and playing good basketball,” Ainge said. “So I think that Daniel’s and Marcus’ injuries have changed things, and that means that there are going to be opportunities for our other guys, our younger guys, to play.

“And I think that’s a good thing, too. Daniel’s not going to be back, for sure, during the season, and we’ll see when Marcus can come back and help, if we can play long enough to let him heal.”

There have been times over the course of Ainge’s front office tenure here when players he wanted to see more of — Avery Bradley comes to mind — got their chance only because of injury to others. As the Celts head west to take on Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix and Utah, people such as Semi Ojeleye and Abdel Nader are seeing more time. And others have increased stature in the game plan.

“There’s opportunities for other players now to prove that they can contribute,” Ainge said. “And there are big opportunities for Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier, too. Their minutes will increase and their roles will increase, but there will also be opportunities for Abdel Nader and Guerschon (Yabusele) and Greg Monroe and all the rest of the guys on the bench, Shane Larkin and so forth.

“All those guys will have to play a bigger role, and I’m sure that they’re very excited about that. Jabari Bird is getting healthy and Kadeem Allen (both on two-way contracts) could get some opportunities, so I think we’ll get a chance to see what all our guys can do.”

No one has done more with his chance than Terry Rozier, who has averaged 15.6 points over his last 20 games, the first three and last four of them as a starter. Rozier probably deserved to play more last season, but there was too big a crowd in the backcourt, with Bradley starting and playing well alongside Isaiah Thomas.

“It really is an opportunity league,” said Ainge. “We see it all the time where guys get an opportunity and they show that they’re better players than their typical roles of playing shortminute stints to rest stars. There’s a big difference of going out and playing and getting your own rhythm.

“And I agree that Terry was good last year and in the playoffs, and he was good early in this season, but he really took another step once he had those three games starting. And that confidence he gained in that stretch, he’s carried it over.”

While most of time in such cases, the player proves something to the coach, in Rozier’s situation he appears to have convinced himself, beyond the outward confidence he’s always possessed.

“I think he showed the world, and now he knows,” said Ainge. “I feel like he’s always known but, you know, he proved it now with those consistent minutes, with not having to look over to the bench.

“I mean, (coach) Brad (Stevens) has always had confidence in Terry and his teammates have always had confidence in him, and now I think he knows he’s good.”

As Al Horford put it recently, “He’s figuring it out. I think a lot of times it takes time for guys to understand what their role is, how they’re supposed to play. And I just think that he’s figuring it out, and that’s a good thing for us.”