To call it a burden wouldn't be right.

Most rookies would vault over each other for the opportunity that will be presented to Marcus Banks starting today, when Celtics rookies and players with three or less years experience begin workouts.

Though veterans don't join in the two-a-day sessions in Waltham until Friday, Banks might as well count himself in the older group, considering the level of responsibility that is about to be put on his shoulders this season.

When Celtics coach Jim O'Brien and director of basketball operations Danny Ainge talk of improving their team's running game, it is with a vision of Banks at the controls.

That will mean directing his celebrated teammates, Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce, in the offense. That will mean not being shy. That will mean speaking up to his elders. Anyone who has come to know the Las Vegas native this summer, of course, knows that the vocal part isn't likely to be a problem.

Mateen Cleaves, the former Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings point guard whose early NBA career has been plagued by foot trouble, is expected to join the team for the beginning of workouts tomorrow, but he doesn't have a guaranteed contract. Players with three or fewer years of NBA experience are expected to report, with veterans scheduled to begin two-a-day workouts Friday. . . .

With rain threatening and the Patriots and Red Sox on television, Jim O'Brien didn't know what to expect when he pulled into the parking lot at the Celtics training facility in Waltham for yesterday's annual season ticket-holder's barbecue.

``I was wondering about the turnout, and the turnout was fantastic,'' the Celtics coach said during the meet-and-greet, which included Celtics rookies Marcus Banks, Kendrick Perkins and Brandon Hunter, in addition to veterans Walter McCarty and Mike James.

Fans lined up for autographs and pictures, and several took a moment to gawk at the rookie hardware on hand - two Hummer H2 vehicles, a shiny black Cadillac Escalade and a black Yukon.

``It says a lot of our organization that so many people are here,'' O'Brien said.

An admiring Wyc Grousbeck, Celtics CEO and managing partner, credited director of basketball operations Danny Ainge with building a good portion of the enthusiasm.

``It's Danny Ainge coming out and saying, `I have a plan.' While we have Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker we should be trying to win the whole thing,'' Grousbeck said.

Yesterday's crowd also said a lot about expectations. Celtics management has been absolutely thrilled since a franchise-record 18,000 tickets were sold within the first hour that tickets went on sale Sept. 20, in addition to a record 37,000 over the weekend. Seventy-five percent of the sales were made over the Internet.

Former UA forward Rick Anderson has accepted an invitation to join the Boston Celtics preseason camp as a free agent.

Warren LeGarie, an adviser for Anderson at the SFX sports agency, said Thursday that Anderson will get a look from the NBA club while keeping his other options open for the upcoming season.

"There's always a chance,'' of Anderson making the Celtics, LeGarie said. "They like him. He shoots the three. He knows how to play. And he makes other people better.''

Anderson, who was not chosen in the June 26 NBA draft, played as a free agent for the Celtics and Clippers summer-league teams.

Celtics general manager Chris Wallace, whose name automatically pops up these days when a team starts interviewing candidates to take charge of its basketball operations, spoke Tuesday with officials from the NBA's expansion franchise in Charlotte.

``It's just the beginning of the process for them, but I thought it went well, and I feel very comfortable with Ed Tapscott,'' Wallace, who has been given permission by his new C's boss, Danny Ainge, said of the Bobcats' chief operating officer.

Wallace has developed a strong association with Tapscott, a former New York Knicks GM. Tapscott has served as a consultant to a number of NBA teams over the last decade.

Bobcats owner Robert Johnson hired Tapscott shortly after the BET founder was awarded ownership of the franchise, which will begin play for the 2004-05 season.

Wallace went into his interview confident that the Bobcats can help themselves at a time when most other teams are attempting to minimize penalties under the luxury tax.

``They draft fourth (overall next June), and then first the following draft,'' said Wallace. ``The expansion process should not prove difficult for them to navigate. Teams do not want to be stuck with a large number of heavy contracts. They only have to take 14 contracts, and after looking at the situation, I believe they can get in and out of that situation fairly well.

``I think this could be a great opportunity. I came away very impressed with the potential that exists there. You're in the heart of basketball country, there's great interest in the college game, and they have a very experienced and savvy leader in Ed Tapscott.''

The Heat completed one aspect of its bench Tuesday when it reached back to its past and signed veteran guard Bimbo Coles, a member of the organization in the 1990s, to a one-year contract.

Now all Miami has to do is complete its reserve unit with a big man or two, which it is trying to do, and it will be ready when training camp opens Oct. 1.

Coles, 35, will earn $1.3 million, the minimum wage for a player with 13 years' experience. He's averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 assists in his career with Miami, Golden State, Atlanta, Cleveland and Boston.

Last season with Cleveland and Boston he averaged 4.4 points and 2.1 assists per game.

At 6-feet-2, Coles is known as a defensive-minded player who is expected to be an extension of coach Pat Riley to a certain extent.

First impressions left Danny Ainge with a slightly disgusted feeling last May.

In the mind of the Celtics' new director of basketball operations, the team he was taking over was curiously out of shape.

Getting back down the floor was a problem against New Jersey in last season's second round playoff series. Flabbiness in spirit and body fat ratio were equally evident.

``It was one of the first things I said. The conditioning had to be much better,'' Ainge said last week while preparing for the opening of training camp on Sept. 29, with veterans of four or more seasons of experience beginning double sessions on Oct. 3.

``It became my No. 1 priority,'' said Ainge. ``I've said all along that the players you have must be in the best condition.

``I felt that our overall conditioning was way down, and had to get much better.''

It should have come as no surprise, then, when Ainge decided not to renew the contract of strength-and-conditioning coach Shaun Brown, a Rick Pitino holdover.

Steve Belkin, former captain of his high school basketball team and the NBA's newest owner-to-be, said he shoots around on this court as often as he can. "I don't move as well as I used to," Belkin, 56, said with a laugh. "My shots are still pretty good."

That's why Belkin, the largest single investor in the eight-headed ownership team that purchased the Hawks, Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena last week, had no trouble challenging Jason Terry to a game of H-O-R-S-E a day after the deal was announced.

For 20 years, Belkin has been working towards his goal of becoming a professional sports franchise owner.

He came close to owning the Boston Celtics in 1983, signing an agreement to buy the team, but backed out after some negative publicity surrounding one of his employees stripped the joy from his endeavor.

He came close to getting the Charlotte expansion franchise last year, joining one of the few teams with NBA legend Larry Bird that didn't win.

Losing out to BET founder and billionaire Robert Johnson last December hurt Belkin so deeply that he nearly gave up his quest to join that special fraternity known as the NBA board of governors.

"It was one of the low points of my life, " Belkin said. "I had to ask, 'How much do I really want this? Is this not how it was supposed to be? Is this a message that I should shift my dream?' I came to the conclusion: No."

Belkin persisted. He flirted some with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he contacted AOL Time Warner shortly after the company mentioned that it would be selling some "non-core assets" last February. Belkin studied the books and was interested in making a move before David McDavid entered into exclusive negotiations to buy the teams and the arena rights. Buying the Hawks didn't enter his mind again until he received a phone call about three weeks ago.

And, 10 months after his low, comes "this incredible high point," he said.

THE best thing about the NFL season is the NBA season is just around the gully, and over the ridge to Grandpa Stern's house we go.

With training camps scheduled to open for business as unusual Sept. 29, the configuration of numerous rosters - the pool's in but the patio ain't dry - remain exceptionally uncompleted.

The Nets' aversion to assuming Ruben Patterson's rack of baggage, as well as his $25 million, four-year guarantee, coupled with the Blazers' unwillingness to take on Dikembe Mutombo's full ($37.6M) two-year guarantee, appears to have terminated talk of a Kenyon Martin-Rasheed Wallace exchange.

A last-ditch offer by Jersey to accept Jeff McInnis ($3.3M/$3.6M) in the package instead of Patterson was rejected by Portland, divulges a source. McInnis may be a knucklehead but the Blazers can ill afford to surrender him in light of Damon Stoudamire's enduring marijuana issues that may very well earn him starter's minutes in the slammer. Without Stoudamire - as well as free-agent defectors Scottie Pippen and Antonio Daniels - McInnis would be the last point guard standing; unless you think walk-on Robert Pack can make a difference.

The three-way proposition involving Antonio Davis also seems to have shattered in mid-dialogue. Again, Blazer boss Paul Allen is disinclined to take on a three-year guarantee (especially the final payment of $13M), which doesn't include Davis' 71/2 percent - not 15 percent as I initially reported - trade kicker. Apparently, our economy is so bad that even billionaires are being intimidated by the league's luxury tax.

At the same time, Raptors GM Glen Grunwald has withdrawn his support of coach Kevin O'Neill's interest in acquiring Mutombo at his current income. If Mutombo were to become a free agent - which won't happen unless he agrees to relieve the Nets of roughly a third of their obligation - the Raptors would be all over him.

In the meantime, I'm informed Grunwald and Danny Ainge are discussing a swap of Davis for Tony Battie and free agent-in-waiting Eric Williams. Considering Boston's cap already is sky high ($60M this season, $59M next) it's doubtful that deal will go down. That is, unless Ainge can figure out a way to "capsize" Vin Baker.

This could be an interesting next few weeks for Celtics general manager Chris Wallace. He is on Charlotte boss Ed Tapscott's short list of candidates for the GM position with the expansion Bobcats.

The Celtics have given their blessing to Wallace interviewing in Charlotte, and don't be surprised if he hears this week from Tapscott.

The plan is for the new Charlotte general manager to be in place roughly by the start of the exhibition season. Tapscott, who was in Sweden watching the European Olympic qualifier, also plans to talk to Gary Brokaw, the Magic's former player personnel director, and Bernie Bickerstaff, the longtime NBA coach who also was the Nuggets' general manager for a spell and who most recently ran the WNBA's Charlotte Sting.