“It wasn’t really a test - he went out and did some one-on-one work with some of the guys and the heel got extremely sore.’’
Pierce’s absence raises questions about the Celtics’ depth. Marquis Daniels took Pierce’s place with the starters in practice and Sasha Pavlovic (wrist) completed his first full practice since being injured last week.
Pierce will not return to practice until the day before the Celtics’ visit to New York Sunday, Rivers said.
“That’s just the way it runs right now,’’ Rivers said. “I think we’ll have two of the three [for the season-opener].’’
Dynamic duo
Keyon Dooling and Rajon Rondo paired in the backcourt against Toronto Sunday.
“They are smart enough to do it,’’ Rivers said. “Keyon and Rondo had not played a second together and that was good to see that, because they figured it out. Keyon had not played the ‘2’ since he’d been here and it was easy for him. And that was good to see.
“We couldn’t have a better guy to back up Rondo - spirit, knowledge, being a veteran, he can make open shots, and he challenges Rondo every day in practice. Rondo laughed about it several times, this guy doesn’t back up at all. It’s been great - they go at each other in a positive way. I think it’s the first time Rondo’s had that and it’s great for him.’’
Finding his way
The near three-hour workout concluded with a Chris Wilcox dunk off an Avery Bradley feed after a timeout.
“Chris had a stretch where they were cheering and saying, ‘Hey he’s a Celtic today.’ And then he had another stretch, he was just lost, and hey, ‘He’s the new guy,’ ’’ said Rivers. “JuJuan [Johnson] had a stretch - they’re getting it but it’s slow.
“Kevin [Garnett] has clearly taken [Johnson] under his wing. You know how it is with Kevin - you get one shot and if he thinks you’re paying attention he spends the year with you. Obviously, he’s passed the test.’’
The reserves have fit in well, Rivers said.
