BOSTON -- Minutes after a Boston Celtics practice, Gerald Green is talking junk to teammate Isaiah Thomas. Any outsider can see Green enjoys badgering his friend.

"I have the formula," Green states, repeating himself for effect.

Green means he knows what no NBA team has figured out this season: how to stop Thomas from scoring the basketball. Firing 3-pointers from the opposite corner of the court, Thomas smiles. If a formula used to exist to slow him down, it has grown obsolete this year. He is better at handling traps. He has developed a quicker release on his 3-pointers. He has frustrated one coach after another, one defender after another, no matter what strategies his opponents use.

"I know the formula too," Thomas laughs before swishing another long jumper.

Teammates years ago with the Phoenix Suns, Thomas and Green cherish these moments.

"That's what you do with your homies," Green laughs later. "You talk a lot of sh-- to your homies."

It's no coincidence these homies reconnected in Boston. Friendship helped reunite them.

Green's decision

As Green pondered his options this summer, one called out to him the loudest. He had played for the Celtics before, but that stretch felt like it happened in a different lifetime. After Boston drafted him, his basketball journey took him to Minnesota, Houston, Dallas, Russia, China and all the way back to the NBA. He didn't choose the Celtics solely because of his prior experience with the team. He also had his good friend, Thomas, recruiting him from afar.

Thomas told Green what it's like to play for Brad Stevens and how much fun the Celtics have on the court. The more Green heard, the more intrigued he became. But his interest in Boston had been sparked previously when he watched Thomas lift the Celtics.

"I just know what type of warrior he is," Green said. "I done been to war with that guy. So I already know what he's going to bring to the table. If he goes to war with you, man, you know it's somebody that you're going to want on your team. I kind of knew about the structure of this team, I kind of felt like when he first came here, man, he rubbed off a lot on this team, a lot. Just his spirit, his attitude, his hunger, his willingness to compete, all that sh-- rubbed off on everybody here, even the whole organization.

"He almost kind of had, like -- I don't want to say (such) a big thing -- but he almost kind of had like a Kevin Garnett effect on this organization."

In Boston, that's a holy comparison. Garnett helped transform a lottery team into a champion in one season. He is one of basketball's all-time competitors, one of the greatest teammates ever (at least to the players he respects), and a first-ballot Hall of Famer as soon as he becomes eligible for that honor.

All of that may be why Avery Bradley, Garnett's former teammate, downplayed the comparison.

"I think (Thomas) brings the underdog mentality. We had a lot of other guys that felt like they didn't get respect more than anything. But he's quiet," Bradley said. "KG's one of a kind. So I wouldn't say -- it's not like he brought a different culture or anything, just more so just that mentality, like, 'Let's go out here and prove people wrong.' I think it can rub off on everybody else because we all somewhat play with a chip on our shoulder. ... We all try to play that way because people still don't believe. So he's the first one out of all of us to really emerge and prove people wrong."

Explained Green: "When Kevin Garnett got here, he just really took the organization to a whole other level. Even though Kevin Garnett was already established, already an All-Star, (etc.), I think IT had that effect on this team. As soon as he got here, this team was instantly better. And I don't feel like a lot of people really realize that. So for me to come back to Boston and play with him is an honor. I know playing behind him, man, he can do a lot of things. And he can take us to a lot of places. So I just want to be a part of the ride."

Thomas' belief

In some ways, this season hasn't been easy for Green. He has hopped in and out of the rotation. He has watched perimeter minutes go to younger guys like Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier. He has scored in spurts, like he does, but then retreated back to a life of erratic playing time.

Through it all, Thomas keeps telling Green: "You're going to win us a playoff game."

At some point, they will need a scoring spurt off the bench, a rush of 3-pointers, and Green will be waiting for his chance, much like he did Wednesday night before scoring a team-high 18 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. A lot of Celtics share Thomas' belief that Green will deliver in a big moment. During a long season, that type of support goes a long way.

"Hell yeah. I mean, hell yeah," Green said. "It means a lot to me, man. For basically the king of the city besides Tom Brady to say that to me, it's very humbling for me. It gives me a lot of motivation. I know this season for me has been a little up and down, but I do work a lot in the background which a lot of people don't see. That's how I'm kind of able to stay in shape whenever my number is called. But I'm just trying to do whatever I can just to help this team, no matter what it is, no matter if it's going out there and playing defense, getting a rebound, or even if it's motivating guys from the bench, I'm willing to do that."

Thomas is one guy who doesn't need much motivation. Green will give him some anyway -- and sometimes by talking crap. After snapping Thomas' 43-game streak of leading the Celtics in scoring, Green let his teammate hear it in the locker room.

"I said, 'Yeah, you shot more than me. That's why,'" Thomas laughed. "But if anybody broke it, I'm glad it's him. That's my guy."

"That's my guy, man," Green echoed. "He's one of the main reasons why I came here, to play with him in Boston. I'm always in his ear. Every time we've been on the same team we always sat together on the plane. We're always talking basketball, talking family, talking just about everything, man. That's my guy to the end."