While it's true that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen bring varying measures of greatness to the table each game and that the bench has taken on a ``Community Auditions'' Star of the Day quality, Rondo has become the barometer. Tell us how well he played and we can pretty much tell you whether the Celtics were victorious.

In the 36 Celtics wins, Rondo is averaging 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 8.0 assists. In the losses, he's scoring 7.0 per game with 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists. His shooting numbers are more glaring: .544 overall (.380 on treys) in wins and .324 (.222) in losses. He's even a better free throw shooter in the wins (.651 to .520).

Allen's numbers show a significant drop-off from wins to losses, too, but much of that is because he's so dependent on Rondo to push the ball and penetrate and get him good looks.

Coach Doc Rivers has often made the point that his team needs Rondo to be aggressive, and the digits certainly back him up.

What's also clear is that Rondo still has a great deal of space to grow. The team was concerned last season that he shrunk a bit in road games, and he still appears to be more comfortable at home. While good veterans relish the road challenges, Rondo averages 8.7 points on foreign floors and 12.9 on the parquet.

But take into account the fact this kid has a delightfully greedy need to be great and you come to one conclusion: If you like Rajon Rondo now, you're going to love him later.

No matinee idle

To the NBA victor go the spoils - a banner, a parade, rings . . . and a whole mess of afternoon games. The Celtics are currently 3-0 in daylight, having won in Toronto (twice) and New Jersey, and they have eight more matinees beginning with today's 1 p.m. date with Dallas.

``For coaches there's no difference, but for a player - having done both - I would say I prefer afternoon games far more as a coach than I did as a player,'' said Rivers. ``I didn't really like afternoon games as a player because it just seems like it comes so quick. If you're having a bad game, by the time you wake up, the damn game's over. Where if you're having a bad day on a night game, you can at least try to correct yourself before gametime. Some players like it though. Some players like it because it gives you more recovery time.

``But it's funny. In the three afternoon games we've had, we've come out with great starts. I just think in these type of games, if you can do that and get off to a good start, it gives you a chance to play well the whole game.''

Rivers obviously hopes the trend continues.

``We'd better get used to them because we're going to have a ton of them,'' he said of the afternoon sessions. ``We've got three weeks in a row coming up (the Mavericks, Minnesota and San Antonio visiting the Garden). I do like them better at home, I will say that. Hell, I like all the games better at home.''

Eyeful for Carter

Those two Nets blowout losses against the Celtics weren't the only crashes Vince Carter witnessed last week. He happened to be looking out the bedroom window from his Weehawken, N.J., pad when U.S. Airways Flight 1549 went swimming in the Hudson.

``I thought I was watching TV,'' Carter said. ``It landed like it was a movie. It hit like nose first, and you could (hear) the impact. Couldn't believe it. Just couldn't believe it.

``We at the Nets should honor (pilot Chelsey Sullenberger) and I would be the first out there to shake his hand and say incredible work. That's amazing to be able to land a machine that large with that many lives at stake, including his own. He put it right there, right in the middle of the water, safe and sound. It was unbelievable. The way he landed, he landed flat. It wasn't a nose-dive. He put it flat down.

``The next thing you know, a couple of seconds later, you see people jumping out and a few seconds later you see people on the wing. As that was happening, the ferry was already in transit across the Jersey side and the other ferry got there. The next thing you know the police cars are coming everywhere and more ferries. It was an amazing scene. It looked like it was out of a movie.

``I'm not one that's looking out the window every day, and the day I decide to (look), there's a plane landing in the Hudson. It was one of those things you never forget.''

Pistons realigned

It took Detroit coach Michael Curry a while to go to the bigger lineup he desired, but he may just have been waiting for his team to make the argument for him. It came through loudly in five straight losses, including a 10-pointer in Oklahoma City.

Rip Hamilton now comes off the bench, with Amir Johnson joining Allen Iverson, Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince in the starting five.

``A lot of people have made a lot of things about this,'' Hamilton said. ``Regardless, you want to win games. Me and Allen both know that. They told me I was coming off the bench, that it was something MC (Curry) wanted and I said `Fine, cool.' The bottom line is you want to win games. If this is the best way we can win a championship, then I am all for it.

``The thing is, we have two great scorers, me and AI. We have to figure out how both of us can be our best.''

Hamilton spent his first two years in the NBA as a sub, playing behind the likes of Michael Jordan and Mitch Richmond in Washington. Including playoffs, he had started 611 consecutive games in which he was available.

Ed's Garden daze

Wizards interim coach Ed Tapscott is a very familiar face in the Boston area. Not only did he go to school at Tufts and become an assistant coach there, but he also makes sure to visit the city and spend time on Martha's Vineyard in the summer.

Though he's a Washington native, Tapscott got into the Celtics during the early '70s.

``Back when they were at the old Garden, the Celtics had a policy that if you played varsity Basketball for one of the local college teams, you could come to any Celtic game and get in on standing room only for a buck,'' he said. ``All the coaches would send down the names to Basketball operations and they'd pass it on to the ticket people, and you could show up at the press door and they had the lists. You'd show your ID and you'd get in for a dollar. Then you'd go try to find a seat. It was usually an obstructed view seat, and they had plenty of those in the old Garden.

``And I went to a ton of games, man. As a matter of fact, my grade point average dropped the first semester I was able to go. My old man asked me what was going on, and I was watching a lot of Celtics games.''

Fiddlin' and diddlin'

Got to say it was truly an honor to meet Tommie Smith at the Garden on Monday. The social statement he and John Carlos made by raising black-gloved fists on the medal podium during the anthem at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics resonated far beyond 200 meters.

Smith's presence to receive a ``Hero Among Us'' honor created a discussion on the role of athletes as spokespeople for social matters. Rivers believes that players should be able to make that choice for themselves - even it's to remain on the sidelines.

Smith said many athletes are outspoken in their own way, but, he added, ``Of course, many of us don't do what we should, and that's called ignorance.'' . . .

Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr. watched parts of Barack Obama's inauguration on television. He knew the routine, having been to President Bill Clinton's second inauguration when he was 16. Mason has long been interested in politics, and he was able to nail a ticket from a former classmate, Chelsea Clinton. . . .

And how was Ray Allen able to get the prized inauguration tickets this year? His benefactor was Illinois congressman Tim Johnson, a Republican. . . .

Former Boston College star Craig Smith enjoyed the Timberwolves' trip to his California home. He was seen rolling in his Bentley convertible - not exactly the kind of wheels for a Minneapolis winter - after practice. Kevin McHale joked that he'd be sure to bring up Smith's vehicle choice when he's up for a contract again. . . .

Nobody wins unless everybody wins.

- sbulpett@bostonherald.com