Backcourt Steers Celtics Toward Fast Lane

Boston Celtics fans should have spent their summer thinking of Brian Shaw and Dee Brown in uniform, on the fly, darting about on the Boston Garden parquet.

But that wasn’t the case.

Instead, fans pictured Shaw in federal court, fighting to nullify his Celtics contract and return to Italy. They pictured Brown face down on a street in affluent Wellesley, Mass., surrounded by police officers, wrongly accused of being a bank robber.

Would the off-season events sour Celtics fans on Shaw and-or sour Brown on Boston?

Well, Shaw is winning over fans.

Brown is living happily in Wellesley.

And on the eve of the regular season -- the Celtics open at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night -- it appears things have worked out for Celtics fans. In fact, there is a refreshing feeling in Beantown about basketball in general, and about the backcourt in particular.

After a year in the minors and an eventful summer in court, Shaw is playing at a higher level than he did his rookie year, when he averaged 5.7 assists and 8.6 points on 43 percent shooting. And the touted Brown, the Celtics’ first-round pick (19th overall) out of Jacksonville University, has done nothing to disappoint.

These are two quick, exciting players. Two players the Celtics have needed.

“I feel that Brian Shaw and Dee Brown are leaders, and I expect them to step forward,” Celtics Coach Chris Ford said. “They breathe fire and life into the older guys.”

Ford is banking on it.

“We’ve gotten quicker and more athletic in the perimeter positions so that we’ll be able to do things other than banging away at half-court,” Celtics basketball operations chief Dave Gavitt said. “Chris is committed to this.”

When camp opened Oct. 5, Dennis Johnson, 36, the Celtics’ point guard through seven mostly glorious years, was gone. So was guard Jim Paxson, 33. Guard John Bagley, 30, was suffering from tendinitis of the knee.

Ford, in his first year as Celtics coach, moved quickly to strip away Boston’s tired half-court offense. He began work on increasing the tempo, improving transition defense and establishing that Shaw and Brown are the ones who will make the new system go.

Ford gave Shaw the ball and said, “I have confidence in you. Run the show.”

In his first game as a Celtic since returning from Il Messaggero-Roma, Shaw had 12 points and nine assists; he turned Hartford, Conn., boos to cheers after only two trips down the floor.

Boston was supposed to be a tougher test. Last week, in the Celtics’ only preseason game at the Garden, Shaw was again greeted with boos. One dive into the stands after a loose ball changed all that. Shaw finished that game with 22 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and a heap of support.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s all over. It’s just basketball now,” Shaw said.

Shaw has been nothing but confident. He averaged 13.3 points on 50 percent shooting and made 64 assists in eight exhibition games. Off the court, Shaw has faced the media in every city with his chin up, answering difficult questions articulately and with class.

“Even when Coach Ford was an assistant when I was here a couple years ago, he always pushed me to push the ball up, play tough defense and instill a leadership factor,” Shaw said. “When I’m out there I have to be a leader. He’s put a lot of time and effort in, given me a lot of responsibility, and I hope to respond in a way to reward him for the confidence he has had in me.”

Ford is high on Brown for many of the same reasons he likes Shaw. Brown shows the same intelligence and leadership skills as Shaw. Brown is athletic, among the quickest players in the league and loves to play defense.

But before he could display any of these attributes, Brown had to deal with a highly publicized off-court incident. Said Atlanta Hawks guard Doc Rivers, “I didn’t know who Dee Brown was until I heard he couldn’t buy a house in Wellesley.”

Fact is, Brown didn’t want to buy a house in Wellesley, a wealthy Boston suburb, after he was wrongly accosted by police there in August. There was an uproar over the incident -- many accused Wellesley authorities of being racially biased. Since, Brown, who is black, has become something of a spokesman for the wrongly accused, smoothed over his differences with the authorities, received a ton of support mail and bought a house. In Wellesley.

Celtics fans have quickly taken to Brown. He’s fun. At one moment, Brown might explode by Spud Webb for a dunk; he did that against the ultra-quick Hawks guard in a Worcester exhibition two weeks ago. Another moment, Brown might be flying out of bounds to save a ball with a behind-the-head heave; he did that last week in Boston.

Then there is Brown’s exuberance. The facial expressions. The freshness he brings to the team, on and off the court. Just listen ..

“I went to high school and college in Jacksonville,” Brown said, “so this is the first time I’ve really been away from home. So I talk to my mom and dad about once a week. You’ve always got to talk to your parents, to see what’s going on back home, to get that little boost.

“My dad’s only 40, he’s young. When I talk to him, it’s almost like talking to a brother and a friend to a certain extent, man-to-man. He keeps my head straight. He tells me, ‘Hey, it doesn’t end right here. You’ve still got to get to a level where guys like (Kevin) McHale and (Robert) Parish are. Then you still can’t stop.’

“I’ve got a long way to go, I know that. As long as I think of it like that, I can keep improving and I can stay in the league for a while.”

And as Brown improves, and Shaw, so will the Celtics.