Nenad Krstic was considered a throw-in when the Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green, but the center has exceeded expectations.

"I think the surprise is just because a lot of people are not familiar with him," said Kevin Garnett. "I think that's his game. What a lot of people don't know is that he can shoot out to 16, 17 feet. He's a big man, but he has range. With offensive rebounds, he has a lot of energy, he's good around the basket. I think the fact that people get more familiar with his game, the more pleased they'll be. He's a very good addition to our team."

"We wouldn't have done [the Oklahoma City trade] for one piece," Rivers said before Wednesday's game. "Jeff Green was very important in the trade, but so was Nenad. They both were.

"He can play, and I think people are being reminded of that."