the early indications on what newcomer Erick Strickland can bring to the Celtics - strong defensive play, sophistication and scoring - continue, they have indeed added a solid complementary piece to their unfinished puzzle.

Strickland scored 17 points in Saturday's loss at Atlanta. Last week he was given the task of shadowing Reggie Miller in the tail end of a win over Indiana. Strickland said the scoring isn't a novelty.

``I'm OK with scoring,'' he said. ``I have started in the league and averaged 13 points and 10 points in my starting seasons. I can score. Basically, what I'm coming off is like training camp for me. I've only been here about three weeks now. I'm just trying to find my rhythm - finding my spots on the floor and get my legs under me. If I can just continue to help the team anyway I can, whether it's on defense or knocking down some shots and give us a spark that way. It's why I'm here.''