The New Me

Celtics forward Gerald Green , 20, came out of high school to split his rookie season between Boston and the NBA 's D-League, and finished by averaging 15 points in the Celtics ' final seven games. As he continues his diary for SI PLAYERS, Green is looking to stick.

I'M A VETERAN! O.K., SO MAYBE NOT A REAL VET (MOST OF THE ROOKIES ARE OLDER THAN ME), BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT FEELING THIS TIME. I've just been more comfortable with everything from Day One. When I left Boston last April, I knew that I had to improve my game. I wasn't happy with my ball handling, and my jump shot needed help. This summer I worked with [former NBA coach] John Lucas at a gym in Houston , where my family lives. We ran ball-handling drills, shooting drills, defensive drills. Three sessions a day. He broke down my weaknesses and he started turning them into strengths. Other NBA guys like T.J. Ford , Sam Cassell and Othella Harrington were down there working with Lucas too. The coaches in Boston are happy with my progress--I'm hoping the work I put in will make me a whole new player.

THAT'S NOT TO SAY THIS SUMMER WAS ALL ABOUT BASKETBALL. I was pretty fried after last season, and I didn't get much of a break when I went home. My sister had a baby girl in July, so when I wasn't working out I helped her and my mom around the house. Babysitting, changing diapers, you know the drill. My mom saw how burned out I was, so she suggested I take a vacation. I always said that if I could ever afford it, I'd go to Paris . So I did it. I went for a week with my girlfriend, Doris Martinez. France is a cool country--we went sightseeing, and the Eiffel Tower is something else. Being there gave me a chance to recharge.

NOW IT'S ABOUT GETTING BACK TO WORK. I know what Coach [ Doc Rivers ] expects of me, and the type of hard-nosed defender I need to be. I'm ready. There are good players here, and getting minutes will be tough, but if I play my game, attacking the basket and playing that lock-down defense on the perimeter, I'll be all right. Just as long as I don't have to go back to the D-League. I can't tell you how much I don't want to go back. I feel like I'm an NBA player right now. My goal is to prove that every night.