MILAN - The Boston Celtics made acquiring Jason Terry a priority this summer because of his shot-making ability and versatility on the floor.
But what is often lost in his game is the fact his mere presence can benefit teams greatly.
That's exactly what he delivered in Boston's 105-75 blowout win over EA7 Emporio Armani on Sunday.
Terry had 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting which in itself isn't that impressive. But the Celtics were a whopping 29 when he was on the floor which was the best plusminus ratio of any player.
"He was great," said Doc Rivers. "He was off the ball and I thought he got comfortable. He missed a lot of open shots early, and just kind of hung in there. You could see when he gets it going, he really gets it going.
Rivers added, "He's so clever. For a coach, he's fun for me to watch. He's so ahead of the game and players on the floor. He sees things ... He's a fun guy to coach, I can tell you that."
And he can get it done both as a starter and coming off the bench, although he is best known for being a high impact backup.
Boston Celtics
Terry, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2009, was thrown into the starting lineup on Sunday in place of Courtney Lee.
Rivers said he will look to shake things up in a similar fashion throughout the preseason.
But that didn't stop Terry from having a chat about the lineup change with Lee, who like Terry, is in his first season with the Celtics.
"I talked with him before the game," Terry told Comcast SportsNet shortly after the win. "I told him, 'It doesn't matter if you start or coming off the bench. You gotta come out and assert yourself."
Lee did just that with an emphatic dunk for two of his 11 points off the bench.
"We just need to continue to build, grow as a cohesive unit and the Celtics are going to be a team to wreckon with."