Forward progress expected

So he is back with the team that originally drafted him (fifth overall in 2007, traded to Seattle). If you think about it, Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti’s fascination with Green led to the Celtics’ 2008 title. If Green had not been available, Presti, then the Sonics’ general manager, likely would have kept the fifth overall pick and built his team around Kevin Durant and Ray Allen.

But Green was available, so Presti sent Allen to Boston, and both teams flourished. But Green left Oklahoma City with just one playoff appearance, a first-round elimination last season against the Lakers, and with high expectations this season, the Thunder were solid but not spectacular, seeded fourth at the All-Star break.

That encouraged Presti to make the move for Perkins, and the Celtics are moving forward with Green and Nenad Krstic. The mood was lighter yesterday than it was Thursday, when depression and shock filled the visiting locker room at Denver’s Pepsi Center.

The Celtics were a damaged team, one of their most popular members gone, and tears were shed. Those tears turned into smiles once Green stepped onto the court at UCLA, a breath of fresh, youthful air, as the Celtics prepared to face the Clippers last night.

“We’re going to throw him into the fire,’’ Rivers said. “I think [his presence] will have an impact on the team. He’s a talented player. He’s extremely talented. He can play the [small forward]. He can play the [power forward] or he can handle the ball more than you’ve seen our [power forwards] before. He’s going to help us a lot.’’

Green tried his best to blend in with his new teammates and inhale the new culture. He is with a team that expects to win, that is vying for a title this season, not down the road. The Celtics, unlike the Thunder, aren’t waiting for other teams to get old because they are old themselves, and the sense of urgency was not lost on the 24-year-old Green.