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Former Boston Celtics captain Paul Pierce said he envisions a post-playing day presence in Boston, whether it be as a local businessman or part of the team's front office.

From the Boston Globe:

“Ultimately, what I would like to do is have a business in Boston,” he said. “Maybe like a sports bar. I would love to do something like that here. None of the former Celtic great players have come and done that. I thought about it, and why hasn’t anyone come and opened up a nice restaurant? You see the Don Shula restaurant, the Michael Jordan restaurant, and Magic [Johnson] got the theaters in LA. Why nobody here? All this history, all these championships and love, why has nobody done that?

To be fair, player-themed restaurants are no guarantee to work (right, Papi?).

The more interesting part of the Pierce blurb to us was his thoughts on whether the success enjoyed by Pierce as part of the Big Three era could help Boston attract free agents in the future:

“I enjoyed it here. Hopefully, the fact that guys like me and Kevin liked it here is a sign to other players that it’s a good city to play in. I’m excited about playing in Brooklyn, though. There weren’t too many places I wanted to go if I had to leave Boston, but Brooklyn is one of them."

One of the questions I've often heard from fans after the departure of Pierce and Garnett is whether Boston will be able to attract free agents again. The banners hanging in the rafters only go so far. Ultimately, the Celtics have to put together a young team that 1) Shows a potential to compete for another crown and 2) Have the available assets (cap space, exceptions) to sign the sort of players that can aid that quest.

The Celtics were in no position -- with limited roster space and cap room -- to chase free agents this offseason and used portions of the midlevel exception to add a pair of low-cost additions at positions of need in Brazilian center Vitor Faverani and undrafted point guard Phil Pressey.

Next season, when Boston has that $10.3 million trade exception and -- potentially -- increased cap flexibility, we'll find out what type of talent the team can attract. The Celtics will likely be coming off a losing season, but a high draft pick and a team that shows its trending in the right direction could still attract talent. And, as Pierce noted, maybe the success that Garnett enjoyed after making the jump here, will sway anyone on the fence about playing in Boston.

Writing for ESPN Insider, cap guru Larry Coon pegs the Boston Celtics in the "losers" category while judging how the new collective bargaining agreement affects teams for the upcoming season. A snippet:

Under the previous CBA, the Celtics were willing and able to spend; for example, they were taxpayers in each of the previous six seasons. But now that the progressive tax is kicking in, the team's spending habits are changing. Under the previous system, the Celtics might have tried to keep their nucleus together for at least one more season, adding players in order to stay competitive. Pierce probably would have retired a Celtic under the old system.

 
* Our take: Even under the new CBA, the Celtics would have been content to keep the band together and make another run with its nucleus intact. The way the dominoes fell, it simply made more sense to start the roster overhaul knowing that it was inevitable (and likely overdue after a first-round playoff exit). Before Doc Rivers' decision to depart started that plan into motion, ownership acknowledged a willingness to pay the tax, which would have further exposed the team to looming repeater penalties. As it is, Boston is still tip-toeing the tax line and has simply made an effort to stay below it given the competitive advantage it offers moving forward (when the team might return to contender status). Alas, sending away two of the team's top talents and preparing to endure a transition year will land Boston in the "loser" category despite the fact that the moves the team made could help it rebuild quicker than it might have otherwise. -- Chris Forsberg

It takes dedication, first and foremost.

When former Boston College star and NBA veteran Dana Barros addressed the crowd at an NBA Cares Hoops for Troops event at a submarine base in New London, Conn., on Saturday, that was his message.

“We talked about fitness, we talked about dedication to things you enjoy doing,” the former Celtics guard and current C’s community relations department member said by phone. “We told them no matter what you do, even if it’s not a sport, dedication is important.”

Barros, the Boston native who starred at Xaverian High School before moving on to BC, worked his way to a 14-year NBA career. Drafted by Seattle after four seasons in Chestnut Hill, Barros signed with the Celtics as a free agent after two seasons in Philadelphia. That was in 1995-96, the season prior to the infamous 15-win campaign that former Celtics coach Rick Pitino famously hoped would land them the first pick and Tim Duncan.

Injured in '96-97, Barros admitted it was a trying time to be in green and white.

“The good thing about the NBA, or you can call it the bad thing, is every game there’s new challenges,” Barros said. “You go from [facing Stephon] Marbury to [Allen] Iverson to Jason Kidd, there’s no nights off. Each game is a separate experience.

“If you’re dwelling on the game before, and now you’re facing Charles Barkley or Michael Jordan you’re in trouble.”

The losing got to some of the Celtics.

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Training camp begins at the end of the month for the Boston Celtics and each weekday leading up to the formal start of the 2013-14 campaign, we'll dive into our Celtics Mailbag and tackle a camp-related question:


Q: Who on this undersized roster is going to lead the Celtics in rebounding this season? -- Nate (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

A: The Celtics don't have a legitimate 7-footer on their roster and the only player with pure center size is a Brazilian import with no NBA experience (6-foot-11 Vitor Faverani). It's fair to wonder where the rebounds will come from, even as lineups across the league seem to be getting smaller.

Boston's rebounding issues were a bit overblown in recent seasons given coach Doc Rivers' philosophy to essentially ignore the offensive glass. Boston's indifference on that end often dragged down its total rebound rates. We'll find out soon if coach Brad Stevens will put more of an emphasis on crashing the glass and creating second-chance opportunities, but the bigger question mark lies on the defensive end.

If you're handicapping the field for the team's rebound leader, it's likely a two-horse race between Kris Humphries and Jared Sullinger. Even in a down season with Brooklyn last year, Humphries' rebounding rates (18 percent overall; 23.5 percent defensive) would have been better than any returning Celtics player this season. Two seasons ago, those numbers were up at 32.2 percent defensive and 22.1 percent overall when Humphries was a double-double player. Even if the Celtics force him to play the center position and make him battle against more pure size at that spot, Humphries is easily the most proven rebounder on the squad.

The question with Sullinger is if he'll be hindered at all coming off surgery. If, as he stressed earlier this summer, he's completely healed, then his numbers have potential to trend up. During two seasons at Ohio State, Sullinger averaged rebound rates of 19.2 percent overall and 25 percent on the defensive glass. While Sullinger will be giving up size at times up front, he has a nose for the ball and can make up for that with natural instincts when chasing caroms.

After that it gets a bit dicey. Boston lost three of its top four rebounders from last season in Shavlik Randolph (led team in overall rebound percentage at 22.4), Kevin Garnett (15.7), and Chris Wilcox (12.5). Garnett seemingly snatched up every single available defensive rebound during Boston's playoff series against the Knicks. What's more, after losing Paul Pierce, one of the better rebounding swingmen in the league, the Celtics will also likely need an uptick from the likes of Gerald Wallace and Jeff Green.

A closer look at Boston's individual total rebound rates -- the percentage of available caroms each player hauled in -- from last season (with defensive rate in parentheses):

Kris Humphries - 18 percent (23.5)
Jared Sullinger - 17.6 (22.5)
Brandon Bass - 11.3 (15.5)
Gerald Wallace - 9 (13.9)
Rajon Rondo - 8.8 (13.9)
Jeff Green - 8.3 (13.2)
Jordan Crawford - 7.6 (12)
MarShon Brooks - 6.7 (9.5)
Courtney Lee - 5.9 (9.7)
Keith Bogans - 5 (8.6)
Avery Bradley - 4.5 (6.3)

The team has three other fresh faces, including two bigs that could help on the glass. According to Basketball Reference, Kelly Olynyk grabbed 16.5 percent of all available rebounds last season (20.5 percent on the defensive glass). At 5-foot-11, Phil Pressey’s rebounding numbers were predictably minuscule (5.4 total; 7.8 defensive) at Missouri.

That leaves International Man of Mystery Faverani as the wild card. After honing his game in Spain, the 25-year-old Faverani will get a chance to earn minutes at the center position. One of the intrigues of the preseason is seeing how he's able to compete -- at both ends of the floor -- with NBA talent. As Boston's only pure center, he can carve out an immediate role if he can impact the glass.

While we wait to find out more about the rehab of Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, ESPN the Magazine takes an inside look at the man who repaired his torn ACL in February: Dr. James Andrews.

Surgical fellows in coats and ties strive to stay by his side. Presently, Andrews is nowhere to be seen. One of the fellows looks around, then says: "To be honest with you, he disappears. Eighty percent of our energy is just trying to keep up with him." Then from somewhere offstage, Foghorn bellows, presumably into his iPhone: "Hey man! He's got a partial ligament injury that probably hasn't quite declared itself yet. Here's what we're gon' do ..."

Andrews' days, and often his nights, are punctuated by such calls. The contact list on his iPhone has surpassed 3,000 names, among them athletes, agents, trainers, other orthopedists, coaches, GMs, owners. Within a six-month span this year, the list of damaged and diminished players who trekked to one of Andrews' two clinics -- the newer facility in Pensacola, the older and more established in Birmingham, Ala. -- included Redskins QB Robert Griffin III; MLB pitchers Matt Harvey, Sean Burnett, Jonny Venters, Jake Westbrook and Joel Hanrahan, along with second baseman Scott Sizemore and slugging wunderkind Bryce Harper; NBA draftee Nerlens Noel, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and Pacers forward Danny Granger; and dozens of other athletes undisclosed by their agents or teams. When his phone rings, it is part of Andrews' ethic that he never doesn't pick up.

Hop HERE to read the full story from ESPN the Magazine.

Boston Celtics rookie Kelly Olynyk and Massachusetts Transportation secretary Richard Davey -- a pair of Gonzaga alumns -- rode the Green Line from Kenmore Station to North Station on Thursday in an effort to encourage the use of public transportation by fans, especially to and from the TD Garden. Here's a couple of snapshots from the event (photos courtesy of Susana Hey via the Celtics):

Training camp begins at the end of the month for the Boston Celtics and each weekday leading up to the formal start of the 2013-14 campaign, we'll dive into our Celtics Mailbag and tackle a camp-related question:

Q: Why is everyone sleeping on Brandon Bass? All this talk about who is going to play power forward and no one ever seems to focus on the guy that's held down that position for the last two years. -- Leandro (Costa Mesa, Calif.)

A: You mean the guy that's started at power forward in 108 of Boston's 147 (73.5 percent) regular-season games the past two seasons? The guy who Doc Rivers tasked with defending the opposing team's best player (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony) in the Celtics' final playoff series the past two years? The lunchpail forward that quietly goes about his business -- the sort that typically endears himself to a Boston fan base that grows tired of the opposite (right, Glen Davis?) -- and with largely positive results?

Unfortunately for Bass, the traffic jam at his position has caused a lot of folks to overlook him. Given his production and remaining price tag (two years, $13.4 million) some have wondered if he might be a trade asset if Boston saw available power forward minutes going to younger players (Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk). When pondering what's best for the team's future, some even prefer to distribute that frontcourt playing time early in the 2013-14 campaign to the likes of Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace, who could increase their own trade value with bounce-back years.

And, in typical Bass fashion, he just sorta shrugs it all off. Down at summer league in Orlando, he was asked about how he envisioned his role with the team this season and offered, "I haven’t really thought about my role. I just think that I’m going to come in being the best Brandon Bass I can be, and that’s all I can take care of."

What's easy to forget is that the best Bass is a pretty good commodity. Certainly his stat lines were aided by being paired in a frontcourt with Kevin Garnett, masking some bad rotations or creating additional space to work in at the other end of the floor. But Bass really came on strong at the end of the 2013-14 season when Garnett was sidelined by injury. That carried over into the postseason where Rivers suggested that Bass played a "perfect" game early in the series against the Knicks.

Fair or not, things are a bit muddy at the moment for Bass. In a way, he sort of has to remind everyone what he brings. He has to prove again that he can be a capable defender (especially without the Garnett safety net). Last season, Bass allowed a mere 0.756 points per play, ranking in the 91st percentile among all NBA players, according to Synergy Sports data. Of those with at least 500 plays defended, Bass ranked fifth in the NBA in points allowed per play (the six spots behind him: Marc Gasol, Larry Sanders, Dwight Howard, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Garnett, and Tony Allen -- that's some pretty good company).

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Training camp begins at the end of the month for the Boston Celtics and each weekday leading up to the formal start of the 2013-14 campaign, we'll dive into our Celtics Mailbag and tackle a camp-related question:  

Q: Of all the training camp invitees, do any actually stand any chance of making the roster? -- KWAPT (Brighton)

A: The Celtics currently plan to bring four camp invites to Newport for the start of camp on Oct. 1 in Chris Babb, Damen Bell-Holter, DeShawn Sims, Kammron Taylor. The good news for the invites: Boston has one available roster spot and just enough available money to keep one of them around. The bad news for the invites: They are probably going to have to dazzle to push Boston to the brink of the luxury tax line and snag that final spot.

After waiving the nonguaranteed contract of Donte Greene on Tuesday, the Celtics currently have 14 guaranteed contracts totaling approximately $71.6 million. The luxury tax line, which a transitioning Boston squad would prefer to stay under, is $71.748 million for the 2013-14 season. It leaves virtually no wiggle room. Boston could sign any veteran to a nonguaranteed deal and waive them before the early January deadline when contracts become guaranteed and could potentially have enough savings to carry an extra body for the start of the season (but even that might need further trimming later in the season). This, too, would seemingly work against the invites if Boston elected to add, say, a veteran point guard to provide depth if Rajon Rondo is still rehabbing from ACL surgery.

At first blush, there's not a Greg Stiemsma on this invite list, a D-League/overseas overachiever that's got the physical build that might encourage a team to roll the dice. But here's the great thing about training camp: These guys are going to get plenty of reps and a chance to impress. And with the alternative being a low-paycheck stay in Maine, or a trek back overseas, these four will have ample motivation to showcase their talents for Boston (and the rest of the league).

One of the more intriguing guy on the list to me is Babb, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound rock of a two-guard. If it wasn't for the crowded field at that position, you wonder if he'd have a better shot at sticking. His stat line doesn't jump off the page from his senior season at Iowa State (9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists), but those numbers don't tell the whole story. According to Synergy Sports data, Babb averaged 1.018 points per play, ranking in the 89th percentile (that included shooting 38.2 percent beyond the 3-point stripe) among all Division 1 hoopsters. Babb thrived in transition and seemed to pick his spots well, offensively. He's got the size to defend NBA bodies at three positions and, while his advanced defensive numbers were not flashy (he allowed 0.756 points per play last season, ranking in the 67th percentile), he was regarded as one of the nation's top collegiate defenders.

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The Boston Celtics waived the nonguaranteed contract of recently acquired Donte Greene on Tuesday.

Greene came to Boston last month in a swap with the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Fab Melo and cash considerations. The Grizzlies already waived Melo, which means the Celtics sent approximately $1.7 million to Memphis in order to clear a roster spot and dip below the luxury tax line.

Boston now has 14 guaranteed contracts totaling approximately $71.6 million. The luxury tax line is set at $71.7 million for the 2013-14 season.

Avoiding the tax could help Boston avoid looming repeater penalties for taxpayers and puts the team in line for a rebate, as part of the money spent by tax teams is redistributed to non-taxpayers. That's a pretty attractive incentive this season after Boston pumped up the tax bill for the rival Nets when it send Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn earlier this summer.

Greene was due to earn $1 million this season. The Celtics could have brought him to camp in order to compete for a spot, but the tax line sealed his fate. Greene is expected to sign in China, his agent told HoopsHype.com.

Training camp begins at the end of the month for the Boston Celtics and each weekday leading up to the formal start of the 2013-14 campaign, we'll dive into our Celtics Mailbag and tackle a camp-related question:  

Q: How do you see Jordan Crawford's season panning out? Will he soak up some minutes while Rajon Rondo is out, or is he not in coach Brad Stevens' plans? -- Nick (Sydney, Australia)

A: The Celtics' traffic jam at the shooting guard position has left many to wonder if Crawford will stick on the roster throughout the 2013-14 season. The addition of MarShon Brooks muddies Crawford's role at an already crowded position that includes Avery Bradley, Courtney Lee, and Keith Bogans.

With Boston desperate for a wild-card scorer at last February's trade deadline, the Celtics begrudgingly traded away veteran center Jason Collins (and injured Leandro Barbosa) to land the enigmatic Crawford. Crawford had occasional bursts of contribution, but had a limited postseason role (11.8 minutes per game) and his most noteworthy moment came after the buzzer of Game 5 in New York where his postgame jawing at Carmelo Anthony went viral. Last week at a youth basketball clinic in Dorchester, Crawford said he's trying to be more of a leader on a young team (which was met with snickers by most of his pundits).

If you're Crawford, this is an important season. He's essentially in the final year of a rookie deal with a $3.2 million qualifying offer looming for the 2014-15 season. Crawford has the reputation of being an aloof scorer whose best ball came on bad teams. Bottom line: The soon-to-be 25-year-old guard has something to prove this year.

Crawford's career shows a low-efficiency scorer who can't consistently shoot 3-pointers (career 30.1 percent) and seemingly thrives in the safety of lopsided games. The one intriguing aspect of his skill set remains his passing ability, which is vastly underrated and left Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge gushing last year that Crawford was potentially the best passer on the team.

For the 2012-13 season, Crawford averaged a career-best 4.7 assists per 36 minutes between Washington and Boston. His assist percentage was a career-best 25.5 percent with the Wizards. For perspective, Crawford's 19.1 assists percentage with Boston last season was fourth best behind Rondo (49.3), Paul Pierce (25.1), and Terrence Williams (19.7).

Williams was a victim of numbers (and a nonguaranteed contract), but the Celtics could consider putting Crawford on the Williams plan. Williams, a former lottery pick, viewed himself as a typical NBA swingman, but Ainge and the Celtics implored him to work as a ball-handler, which opened doors for him (including in the postseason where he competed with Crawford for backcourt minutes).

If I'm Boston brass, I'm highlighting that gaping void at backup ball-handler to Crawford (and the others in the shooting guard mix) and suggesting there's minutes to be won for those that can throttle their own offensive exploits and show an ability to get others involved. Undrafted rookie Phil Pressey is the only pure ball-handler behind rehabbing Rondo.

For Crawford, the leash is likely shorter than most. His contract status puts the onus on him to make himself part of Boston's future. Otherwise, his $2.2 million salary this season is more likely to end up as an asset to combine as part of a larger move.

The question is whether Crawford could remain committed to being a facilitator and take higher-percentage shots. In a way, it's asking him to reshape his game. What's more, after putting up solid defensive numbers in his Boston infancy, he regressed and finished the season allowing 0.902 points per play, ranking him in the 29th percentile among all players for his abbreviated time in Boston. He needs to invest greater on that side of the ball if he's going to be inconsistent offensively.

The bottom line is there's an opportunity for Crawford here. Boston's roster makeup is working against him and his salary makes him a trade candidate, but Crawford will get a chance to earn minutes. His play will dictate if he sticks.

The Boston Celtics ownership group -- Wyc Grousbeck, Irv Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, and Bob Epstein -- will be honored Tuesday night as part of the 12th annual Tradition hosted by The Sports Museum at TD Garden.

On the eve of training camp last season, the ownership group celebrated their 10th anniversary and reveled in delivering Banner 17 to Boston while ending a 22-year championship drought. Now, ownership is digging in for another rebuilding process that started with a roster overhaul this summer and the installation of Brad Stevens as head coach.

As the ownership group is toasted for what they've done in revitalizing the Celtics over the past 11 seasons, a few thoughts on why they've been successful:

* PAY TO PLAY: The way the NBA is structured now, teams must nimbly navigate the luxury tax line. But one thing is certain: In order to play, you can't be afraid to pay (right, Brooklyn Nets?) Since taking over in 2002, Celtics ownership has paid $47.3 million in luxury tax, according to data logged by salary site ShamSports.com. That's the fifth highest total in the league behind only the Knicks, Mavericks, Lakers, and Trail Blazers. Boston has been in the tax in each of the past six seasons -- and seven of the 10 years overall when tax was paid during their tenure -- showing a willingness to field the most competitive team possible. The Celtics likely would have paid the tax again during the upcoming 2013-14 season if they had kept a veteran core intact, but will now attempt (and that's no guarantee) to avoid it this season in order to reap the competitive advantage (and cash rebate) the new collective bargaining agreement affords teams that below the tax line.

* STRENGTH IN LEADERSHIP: Ownership has put a premium on putting the right people in control of their basketball operations. While ownership has been a visible presence, they appear to have been largely hands-off after hiring Danny Ainge to run basketball operations and Doc Rivers to coach the team. Once Ainge zeroed in on Stevens as Rivers' potential replacement this summer, Wyc Grousbeck and Pagliuca flew to Indiana with Ainge and assistant general manager Mike Zarren to sign off on the deal. Like Ainge, ownership came away gushing about Stevens and their faith and trust is reflected in the six-year deal he signed in July. That allows Ainge and Stevens to navigate this rebuild process without the pressure to deliver immediate results.

* COMPETITIVE NATURE: Just watch Grousbeck and Pagliuca courtside and you can tell they are as fiery as Ainge or their players. They also understand the ultra-competitive market in which they reside. "The thing I've learned with [this ownership group] is they encourage me to spend money," Ainge told ESPN in 2008. "All I can tell you is Steve and Wyc and Irv, they're very competitive. I think there's competition in the market. The Patriots are winning [three Super Bowls], the Red Sox are winning [two World Series]. We love the fact that the Red Sox and Patriots have set a standard for this city, just like the Celtics set a standard in the 60s, 70s and 80s."

* HOW BANNER 17 LLC CAME TO BE: This would be a good time to revisit Greg Garber's fantastic 2008 story on how Campbell Grousbeck was a driving force behind the creation of this ownership group. As Wyc Grousbeck noted during Boston's 2008 title run: "[The Grousbeck family] would be out in California, probably, and my golf game would be a little bit better, but I wouldn't be getting ready for a playoff game [back in 2008]. If not for Campbell, we wouldn't be here."

For the third straight year, ESPN.com and the TrueHoop Network are ranking every NBA player -- and counting them down on Twitter (@ESPNNBA) from No. 500 to No. 1. This year, ESPN asked its forecast panel to predict the overall level of play for each player for the upcoming NBA season. This includes both the quality and the quantity of his expected contributions, combined in one overall rating.

Here's a look at the Celtics players unveiled thus far (we'll update this post as the full list is unveiled):

415: Donte Green - 2.41 (2012: 336)
439: Phil Pressey - 2.25 (2012: NR)
481: Vitor Faverani - 1.92 (2012: NR)

Hop HERE to see rankings 401-500.

Training camp begins at the end of the month for the Boston Celtics and each weekday leading up to the formal start of the 2013-14 campaign, we'll dive into our Celtics Mailbag and tackle a camp-related question:  

Q: Phil Pressey is clearly the best backup point guard on the roster. Let him make his rookie mistakes. When has there been a better time to learn on the court? -- Duffy (Spring Valley, Calif.)

A: Pressey's situation is fascinating to me. Here's a kid who was derided for electing to declare for the draft after his junior season (heck, even Missouri fans questioned his decision to leave early) and scouts said he was too inconsistent to accurately peg in the draft. Sure enough, despite interest from a good number of teams, Pressey went 60 picks without being taken, only to have old friend Danny Ainge (Pressey's dad, Paul, was part of the Celtics' staff from 2004-07) phone immediately after the draft and offer Pressey the chance to compete for a spot at summer league.

Pressey then calmly displayed his talents in Orlando (9.4 points, 6.6 assists per game), earned an honorable mention on the all-summer squad, and parlayed a steady five-game showcase into a three-year contract with Boston that includes a fully guaranteed first season.

With Rajon Rondo rehabbing from ACL surgery and the All-Star point guard's status uncertain for the start of the season, Pressey is the only pure ball-handler on the Boston roster and has the opportunity for a hefty role when the new campaign tips in Toronto on Oct. 30. The magnitude of what potentially lies ahead doesn't rattle Pressey.

"Every day I’m working to get better," he said Friday while joining some of his teammates for a youth basketball clinic in Dorchester. "One of the things I’ve been trying to work on is being consistent every single day. In college you can have some days off, and not play your best, but every day [in the NBA] you have to bring your A game. That’s one of things I’ve been working on, and coach [Brad] Stevens has been on me nonstop -- that’s helped me out, too."

Pressey noted how Stevens already has sat with him to break down tape, likely stressing the changes he'll see at the NBA level (both sides are learning that on the fly). But his lessons are not just from Professor Stevens. Last week, Rondo spent time rehabbing at Boston's training facility and offered to work with Pressey on the floor. Rondo, who has often taken time after practice in recent seasons to observe younger players and offer his advice, did the same with Pressey. As the rookie noted, "He was in my ear, telling me what I need to do. And every little thing I was doing wrong, he kind of corrected it."

Here's what the Celtics must decide over the next month: With no other pure ball-handler currently on the roster, should they trust an undrafted rookie to steer the car or force a veteran out of position yet again? Fourth-year guard Avery Bradley said this summer that he'd be willing to handle the ball if Rondo wasn't ready, but he struggled in that assignment at times last season and it might be better for Boston to lock Bradley at the 2-guard spot. The Celtics also could put the ball in the hands of Jordan Crawford (whose passing skills are underrated) or Courtney Lee (who pledged to work on his ball-handling after a spike in turnovers last season), but it again pulls those players from their more comfortable shooting guard spot.

In a season in which the Celtics are expected to endure their lumps and for a team that has been desperate to find a low-cost yet serviceable backup behind Rondo, would it not be beneficial to let Pressey learn on the fly?

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When Brad Stevens was introduced as head coach of the Boston Celtics in early July, he pledged to use the remaining offseason months to learn the intricacies of the NBA game, study the strengths and weaknesses of his in-flux roster, and hit the ground running when training camp opened on Oct. 1.

Little more than two months later, and with just two weeks until camp opens, Stevens is confident he's ready for what serves as the grand opening of his NBA tenure.

"I’m in pretty good shape," Stevens said Friday in Dorchester, where he joined a handful of players and staff in running a youth basketball clinic. "I’ve got a great staff and they’ve been great about answering any questions that I would have had.

"I think now it’s like anything else, you have to come up with a progression for getting as much in as you possibly can in a very short amount of time. Also, a philosophy on how you’re going to treat the exhibition games and the exhibition season with the practice opportunities during that month."

Stevens' first few weeks on the job featured a blizzard of activity (introductory press conference, summer league, traveling to meet his players), but things have calmed ever so slightly. Even still, as much of the NBA enjoyed the tranquility of August and early September, Stevens immersed himself in film study to further acclimate himself to the league and has spent much of the past month working with his players as they trickle back to the team's training facility in advance of camp.

"[Summer has] been good," Stevens said. "It’s settled down a little bit in the last couple weeks -- kind of the calm before the storm now. A good number of players have been in town, off and on, for the last couple of weeks. And now, a pretty good number [of players] this week. It’s been good to work out with them, individually and in the gym some. We’re all getting ready for Oct. 1 and the start of it."

As if inheriting a storied franchise in transition wasn't enough for a 36-year-old, first-time NBA head coach, Stevens' truncated offseason has included obstacles in the uncertain rehab of All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo and the arrest of second-year forward Jared Sullinger. With his typically even-keeled demeanor, Stevens has calmly pledged to coach the players that are available and keeps his focus on what's next.

One of the biggest hurdles many believed Stevens would face is having a bunch of 20-somethings buy into the idea that a coach who doesn't look much older than them could return this franchise to contender status. But what Stevens accomplished at Butler and how he's carried himself in his NBA infancy has served him well with his personnel.

"First and foremost, it’s a respect factor," Jordan Crawford said. "Back-to-back Finals Fours ... he knows the game. So it’s really not about the transition to the NBA, it’s just getting comfortable with yourself and knowing your team."

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Kris Humphries' dedication to his development showed last weekend when he arrived in Boston.

"This is the earliest he's ever reported to camp, so he's going to have about three good weeks of work before training camp starts," said his business manager Josh Ketroser. "He wants to get acclimated, he wants to get to know everyone, he wants to really prove to everyone, 'Look, I'm here, I'm devoted, I'm ready to rock and roll.' That's where his head's at. He's looking to have a good year and would love to sign a three- or four-year deal and stay in Boston, and be part of them turning around."

Humphries envisions a brighter future for himself in Boston, starting with the support of new coach Brad Stevens, who called him regularly this summer to check on him and offer motivation. (Interestingly, Humphries' third cousin, Brian Ligon, played for Stevens at Butler.) In Brooklyn, Humphries went from starting to seeing inconsistent minutes to being brought up in trade talks. While he struggled a bit offensively with the Nets -- his rebounding was still strong at 11.0 per 36 minutes -- Ketroser said Humphries was disappointed about his role there.

Now, the potential starting power forward is ready "to compete for a big role" on the Celtics.

"Last year was a tough situation, up and down. For whatever reason, sometimes things just don't work out," Humphries said. "No real fingers to point; I'm just in a different situation now. I'm motivated and I'm looking to make the most out of it. It's funny, of all the places I would end up, I never thought I would play in Boston, but just from being around those guys, it should be exciting. We're out to try to prove that we're a team that can compete every night, and whenever people sort of write you off, it's a lot of motivation.

"I'm not looking to be a part of a tanking situation. I know that [president of basketball operations] Danny Ainge has said that they're not looking to tank, and I'm sure Brad Stevens coming in is definitely not looking to do that. So it's just about competing and bringing it every night. We're going to have to figure out ways to win and continue to get better, and it starts with camp."

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