Tom

Gugliotta

“He won’t be out there right away,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Tom is a guy who has to play to get better. But I have to get [Kendrick Perkins] on the floor more. Googs is a guy who can help you more than Perk today, but maybe in a year Perk is the guy who is going to help you more - in fact, I guarantee it.” Perkins is already fighting Al Jefferson and Walter McCarty for minutes, so Googs is way down the list.

If he is feeling better, he’ll meet the team in Milwaukee for the Bucks game on Tuesday.

Googs played just 19 minutes, scoring two points with no rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Stoudemire owners should look elsewhere for a replacement.

''They want to go with the younger guys,’' Gugliotta said. ''When there are two guys (Amare Stoudemire and Zarko Cabarkapa) at your position who are injured and you still can’t get in, you know you’re not playing.’'

It’s likely Googs will come off the IL tomorrow afternoon before a game against the Wizards.

Googs only collected four points and three rebounds in 19 minutes. Jake Tsakalidis was activated from the IL but did not play, and Scott Williams, who’s started 26 games this season, was a DNP-CD. Bo Outlaw and Jake Voskuhl handled most of the center duties.

''If you hear that I said yes to that, have me checked in,’' he said. Googs probably wouldn’t make more than the veteran’s minimum if he became a free agent this summer.

Googs missed one game so that he could have his number retired at N.C. State.

Walter McCarty took over Raef LaFrentz’s backup at power forward.