"Doc Rivers had just a moment earlier been bragging about Nate Robinson's newfound maturity when the diminutive point guard eagerly accepted a bet.

He put his size-10 feet into Shaquille O'Neal's size-22 sneakers and tried to run a suicide sprint in 30 seconds. As Robinson lumbered to near foul line and back, halfcourt and back, far foul line and back and to the far end line, Rivers shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

The rest of the Celts were taking pictures and counting off Robinson's defeat.

"This chemistry has been very good," Kevin Garnett said. "Needless to say, it's a (expletive) zoo around here. But we have to work on things at the same time."

It is in this regard that Rivers believes the 5-foot-9 Robinson has grown.

"Nate's been terrific," the coach said following yesterday's training camp session at Salve Regina. "I thought last year Nate's experience in the playoffs changed him as a player. Whether he was here or somewhere else, I think he's figured out that when you're on the floor between the lines, it is a very serious basketball game. And it takes being serious, it takes being focused and it takes execution.

"When he's off the court, he can be Nate - and I think he's figured that here now. And, you know, I told him last year early on that it was why he didn't play. I said, 'Until you figure that out, you will not play here.' And he did. I give that credit to Nate."

Rivers knows when the light went on for Robinson."