Kendrick Perkins says Shaq is “a good pickup”

Starting center for the Boston Celtics is Kendrick Perkins job, he’s just not going to be able to do prove it until January.

So two other guys have been brought in to keep the seat warm -- and provide some front line depth for the playoffs. Jermaine O’Neal will be your starter for the season opener against Miami.

Behind him is the big persona of Shaquille O’Neal. If anyone has reason to be nervous about that, it is Perkins. But he told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe he is all good with it.

“I thought it was a great pickup for what we got him for,” Perkins said by phone from Texas. “Shaq is a Hall of Famer. He can always help us. I think it was a great pickup. I am glad that he is on the team. We just got one goal, and that’s just trying to win the ring.”

Perkins right now is just focusing on his rehab.

“I’ve been doing a lot of rehabbing, make sure I get my work in every day,” he said. “Make sure I keep my weight down, just taking it one day at a time. I’m walking without crutches, so that’s a plus. The swelling is my leg went down so everything’s coming around pretty quickly. Right now I can’t work out like I want to, I can’t hoop. But everything else is doing great.”

Rehab is hard work, but Perkins is really all about hard work, no problem there. He’s going to have to fight to get that starting job back come January when he returns, but that is good for Perkins. Gives him a goal. It is good for the Celtics too.