Kendrick Perkins has broken a very bad habit

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KG's injury.

Ray and Paul's minutes.

Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis turning ankles.

Stephon Marbury.

The story lines have been coming fast and furious lately.  But one is falling through the cracks.

The progression of Kendrick Perkins.

Perk came out of high school six years ago pudgy and raw.  He was used to using his bulk to intimidate and dominate.  Life in the NBA required some major adjustments.  We're finally starting to see a big one.

Perkins is averaging 8.2 ppg.  Almost a point and a half more than last year, and almost twice his average two years ago.  The reason he's scoring more, including double digits in every game so far in March, is actually a result of what he's NOT doing.  He's not bringing the ball down every time he catches it. 

It's been frustrating to watch Perkins for the past 5 years.  The bad habits have been hard for him to break.  You could see the potential in him to be a solid double-double guy, if only he'd do some simple things.  For years, he ducked into a crouch every time he caught the ball down low so he could try to power his way to the basket.  His attitude was "dunk everything."  Which, for a guy his size, worked in high school. 

But in the pros, guys are too quick for that.  They jump quicker.  Their hands are quicker.  They swat, and strip, and block. 

Now, Perkins will often catch the ball at head level and go straight up with it.  It's not fancy.  It's not a dunk.  But it's 2 points.  And it's 2 points he wasn't scoring regularly before this year.  To see Perk catch, pivot, and put the ball up off the glass in what seems like less than a second is such a thing of beauty.  It's what we've been waiting 5 years for.

Perk has been doing other things better than he has in the past.  He's become a better defender.  He's 12th in the league in blocks and, unlike league-leader Dwight Howard, most of Perk's blocks are of his man.  Howard is averaging 3 blocks a game because half of those (or maybe more) come from him coming from out of nowhere and blocking someone else's guy.  Perkins plays a guy straight-up and has the ability to block what he puts up.

He's also got stuff he needs to fix.  The foul trouble continues to dog him.  It's the next thing he's really got to fix.  But bringing the ball down has been a habit that dogged him for his whole career.  He's has fixed that.  It took a while, but he did it.  And even with all the stuff going on with the Celtics right now, Perkins deserves to be noticed for the culmination of all his hard work.  It's something that not only makes him better (and fans feel better)... it makes the Celtics more dangerous.