Boston's two young big men have heard that they are the future of the franchise, and they're ready for that challenge.

01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, February 8, 2006

BY SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Al Jefferson is just about fed up with Kendrick Perkins.

If his teammate and neighbor didn't feed him so often, Jefferson might just separate himself from Perkins altogether.

"If you notice -- and he probably will tell you this himself -- he's stealing my moves on offense," Jefferson said after a recent practice. "I don't know what's going on. I'm going to have to sue him."

As if that wasn't enough, "he likes to call me names sometimes. He says he [does] it because he loves me, but what's love got to do with that?," Jefferson continued.

In Boston, "PerkandAl" had become the new run-on phrase, where one couldn't be mentioned without the other -- that is, until Jefferson sprained his right ankle last Friday against the Clippers. The injury -- Jefferson's second sprained ankle this season and third of his two-year career -- will shelve the forward for at least two weeks.

Jefferson's ankle slows not only his development, it also hurts the team, since it seems that the Celtics' short-term and long-term success might be tied to the development of the two young big men.

So it's a good thing the 21-year-old Southerners like each other. Most of the time.

All jokes aside, Jefferson, called a superstar of the future since the day he was drafted last season out of Prentiss (Miss.) High, and Perkins, now in his third season out of Clifton Ozen High in Beaumont, Texas, are good friends off the court who learn from each other on it.

"We watch each other and pick up little things from each other. I stole a couple of post moves from him," said Perkins, confirming Jefferson's assertion. "And I think he's learned how to play better defense from watching me. We just really watch each other, learn from each other. [There's] not a lot of talk because we always work out together, so we always get a chance to watch each other and play against each other."

Jefferson said Perkins might be getting better than Jefferson himself at the moves he stole from his friend.

Perkins, named the starting center in the 11th game this season, has made giant strides. He can still get into foul trouble, but he is starting to show signs that he can be the Ben Wallace-type player he'd like to be -- not an offensive star, but someone who does the dirty work under the glass, getting many points off putbacks.

Listed at 6-foot-10 and a dramatically slimmed-down 260 pounds (take a look at his team head shot from his rookie year and you'll see a dramatic difference), Perkins is Boston's only interior enforcer. He is averaging 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in just over 18 minutes per game. Over 48 minutes, those numbers project to 15.1 rebounds (5.8 offensive) and 3.6 blocks per game -- all of which put him in the top seven in the league.

Perkins has recorded four double-doubles this season, including a monster 12-point, 19-rebound effort against Philly to close out November. Over the last four games, he is averaging 11 boards, and had a 6-block effort against Orlando.

Boston assistant coach Jim Brewer, who works with the team's big men, said Perkins has "come a really long way" since being drafted in 2003 -- from losing more than 50 pounds to learning his role on the team to improving his offensive moves -- and it all stems from a tremendous work ethic. Perkins can often be seen grilling Brewer for 10 to 15 minutes after practice.

"He has a really, really good work ethic. I think he's progressing; it goes in stages. First you have to learn how to play your role, [and] the next thing he needs to get into is the team concept, and work within the team concept, and he's made big progress in both of those areas. The problem that he has, that every young player has, is maintaining consistency through the whole process."

Jefferson, at 6-foot-10, 265 pounds, was born with all the physical gifts on offense that Perkins has had to work so hard for. It's defense where he must put in work.

"He's got very soft hands and he's got an ability with the basketball to score around the basket. That's who he is," Brewer said. "The thing that's going to make him a better player is going to be his defensive approach to the game, becoming more physical, becoming more aggressive, and knowing how to do that and how it can work for him in a positive way."

Coming off the bench but getting roughly the same amount of minutes as Perkins -- at least before Friday's injury -- Jefferson is averaging 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. Jefferson's big game was in December, when he had 21 points and 12 boards in Dallas. Before the Celts' recent losing skid, Boston coach Doc Rivers was letting both young men stay on the court in late-game situations, and they rewarded the coach by maintaining their composure and generally making plays.

Perkins and Jefferson have heard that they are the future, and they're ready for that challenge.

"I feel like we're ready to do it now. But at the same time, let us make our mistakes. Let us go out there, make our mistakes, and learn from it," Jefferson said.

smanza@projo.com / (401) 277-7340