-- In the first month of the 2009-10 season, Boston forward Shelden Williams looked like he was going to have a significant impact with the Celtics this season.

Back then, the Celtics were playing without Glen Davis (broken right thumb) and Tony Allen (ankle surgery).

Now Davis and Allen are back, and Williams hasn't been able to get on the court much since then.

Williams has not played in Boston's last four games. The former fifth overall pick (2006) signed a one-year, $825,000 contract with the Celtics, but he might not be with the Celtics for much longer. They might try to trade him or place him on the inactive list when Marquis Daniels returns from left thumb surgery in mid-February.

When Boston coach Doc Rivers was asked if there was room for Williams on Boston's roster, he said: "I don't know, it's always a competition and there's a lot of bodies. Rasheed [Wallace], Glen Davis, [Brian] Scalabrine - all of them are going to play."

What about Williams?

"Right now he's got guys in front of him," said Rivers. "...Right now he's not playing a whole bunch. He's just working. He's been a great teammate, we knew that when we signed him, that he could be ready to play when we needed him and, if he didn't, he'd still show up and practice hard. He's done all those things, so a lot of credit needs to go to him."

Williams is averaging 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the season, but just 1.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in January. The good news for Williams is that he is playing more than second-year forward Bill Walker, whose number has only been called six times this season.

Williams could be a solid backup plan if Davis goes down again, but in the meantime, Rivers doesn't see Boston shaking up their rotation to get Williams more minutes.