ORLANDO, Fla. - J.R. Giddens can measure the growth of his team by wall space.
As a rookie the Celtics swingman could check them off a list. Kevin Garnett had been featured in a poster on his wall. The same with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. And now this: Rasheed Wallace is about to become a new teammate, with tomorrow the first day the big man is allowed to sign his two-year, mid-level deal with the Celtics .
``I grew up watching Rasheed Wallace,'' Giddens said yesterday. ``Yeah, he was on my wall. But most of these guys have been on my wall.''
At 24, Giddens is squarely in another generation from the quartet of Garnett (33), Wallace (35), Pierce (31) and Allen (34).
``(Wallace is) another veteran who has been around for a long time,'' point guard Gabe Pruitt said. ``And it's going to be another option down low for us. (Wallace) is a 4 who can get out to 3-point range, and that's going to be tremendously tough for guys to guard. There aren't many bigs in the league with that kind of range.''
The challenge for Giddens, whose experience is rooted in the D-League, is to even play a role in this rotation. Like his equally young teammates, Giddens can imagine the possibilities.
``Kevin is such a great defender, and now we have Rasheed who can do the same thing,'' he said. ``Both guys are going to extend the floor, and that's going to really make it tough for the other team's big men. The other team's big men can't worry about just getting their own shots with the way that this is going to be.''
Rajon Rondo, on hand this week to help coach the young players and free agents, is a little more reserved in his judgment. He is, after all, the starting point guard.
``We'll see,'' Rondo said, while attempting to suppress a smile.
The 23-year-old budding star, known to speak his mind where his elders are concerned, is not one to hand out easy platitudes.
``I think it betters our team,'' Rondo said. ``It gives us more depth, but it's early, so we'll see.''
Rondo brightened when the Celtics' place in the Eastern Conference arms race was mentioned.
With Shaquille O'Neal arriving in Cleveland, Vince Carter in Orlando and Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva in Detroit, the Celtics may be making moves to merely keep pace with their Eastern Conference neighbors.
And that doesn't begin to address changes on Western Conference teams like the Los Angeles Lakers (Ron Artest), Houston (Trevor Ariza) and San Antonio (Richard Jefferson).
``Everybody else is making changes, so you have to,'' Rondo said. ``Cleveland is. LA is improved. Orlando has made moves. So it really seems like something that you have to do.''
- mrmurphy@bostonherald.com
