Kevin Garnett won’t be only solution

The Celtics [team stats] have been warned not to think all their problems will be solved with a Kevin Garnett return.

“I’ve told our team that,” said coach Doc Rivers. “When Kevin gets back, we still have to grow as a team. The way I look at it is with him out our growth has been stunted. When he comes back, it’ll continue our growth, but it’s not the answer yet. We still have to grow as a team.”

Added captain Paul Pierce [stats], “We know we’re going to be better when Kevin comes back. Obviously he makes us a better team on both ends of the court. But we’ve got to take care of responsibilities while he’s out. If he’s going to play the next game or not, we’ve still got to go out there and turn this thing around going into the All-Star break.”

Piston-less

Garnett was back yesterday, but Rasheed Wallace went through a limited practice.

“We gave the other old guy a rest today, Rasheed,” said Rivers. “He went through the beginning of practice and then when we went full court I took Rasheed off the floor. He’s dealing with his foot and he’s dealing with a groin issue, as well. I just felt one old guy at a time on the floor.”

Wallace came back Monday night from three games out with a sore left foot. The groin injury isn’t serious, according to Rivers, who intended to move Wallace aside for the day just to give Garnett more work.

“It’s nothing bad,” Rivers said of Wallace’s groin issue. “It’s not even close to severe, but when you can give him a break, you do.”

On losing end

The Pistons come in at 14-26, having recently gone through a 13-game losing streak.

“Well, we’ve been struggling, so there’s no easy games right now,” said Pierce. “We’ve got to come together. We know if we can just be who we are, we should be able to take care of business. Thank goodness we’ve been a better road team than a home team, so hopefully it’s a time for us to get back some momentum on the road.”

After three straight home losses, Pierce said, “Nobody’s happy that we’re losing. You see it in the locker room. You see it just from talking to guys. When you sit around and talk about the games, there’s definitely some frustration, especially at home. We know we’re a better home team than what we’ve been playing. It’s not about getting mad. It’s about getting focused and getting better.

“We’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror as individuals and get better. That’s all it is. We know who we are. We’re a defensive team, one of the best defensive teams when we focus and put our mind to it. It’s about getting back to the basics and doing all the little things.”

Pierce believes the Celtics can still be the best defensive team ever.

“I think so,” he said. “That’s our focus. That’s our goal. We’ve just got to stop talking the talk and walk the walk.”