Like the offensive attack he hopes to improve this season, the pace in Jim O'Brien's office kicked into fast-break mode this week.

As difficult as it may be to fathom, in 24 days O'Brien will usher in his third training camp as Celtics coach, with the goal of changing the style - if not the personnel - of the team that reached last season's conference semifinals.

Like basketball operations chief Danny Ainge, O'Brien wants the team to run more.

Then again, so does every other NBA team at this time of year.

``I don't think there's been a year I've coached when you don't want to run more,'' O'Brien said yesterday. ``The object is to get as many clean looks at the basket before the defense sets as you can.

``The fact that we have guys who can fill the lane better now helps,'' added O'Brien, before heading off in a familiar, basic direction.