Payton fits like a glove

Say what you want, but the Celtics have a pretty formidable starting five these days. Payton is going to the Hall of Fame. Walker and Paul Pierce are, or have been, All-Stars. Ricky Davis has all-world skills and has been a team guy all season. And Raef LaFrentz is more than serviceable when healthy.

They are certainly more interesting than they were last season without Payton and Walker (not to mention Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Tony Allen). You might even say they have a new identity.

"Ricky Davis looked around at practice this morning and said we're like the Oakland Raiders," said coach Doc Rivers. "I think I know what he means. Gary was basically an outcast. Gary . . . Ricky . . . Antoine."

Davis expanded on the thought briefly before playing the mighty Bobcats (go ahead, name three 'Cats). "It's just guys who can play that have a bad rep," said Davis. "But everybody's a good person."

For better or worse, these are your first-place Boston Celtics and these are the guys who'll be wearing the vaunted colors from now until the end of the season. Now that he's back, Payton's planning on a long postseason in Boston.

"I think we can go deep into the playoffs," said the 36-year-old guard before last night's game. "If we keep our minds focused and play the next [23] games hard, with intensity, we're going to the playoffs. I watched the game with the Lakers and we looked great. We're playing with a lot of energy. It's on a high right now. In the next week or so we'll find out what we are made of. We've just got to stay focused."

Payton had options after he was waived. The Suns, Kings, and Timberwolves allegedly were interested. But Boston was the choice. He said he was lured back by the prospect of further contributing to the hardwood educations of Jefferson, West (no turnovers in 29 minutes), and their young friends.