Jim O'Brien needed soulful singer Sade to make his point about young NBA players perfectly clear. ''You come and earn playing time,'' said the Celtics coach. ''As Sade says, This is `no place for beginners or sensitive hearts.' This is a man's game. You're given nothing, at least on the Boston Celtics.'' The choice of lyrics supported O'Brien's practice of using players who give Boston the best chance of winning, typically veterans. The choice of Sade showed O'Brien has a mellow side. With the 2003 NBA draft three days away, teams are busy trying to figure out which players they want most. Sometimes that is the easy part. For the next 12, 18, 24 months or longer, coaches must demonstrate extraordinary powers of patience. The Celtics' recent draft history is littered with first-round selections who made the organization grateful for its good fortune, then left it frustrated by inconsistent play and slow development. Think Jerome Moiso, Joe Johnson, and Joseph Forte.

Barring any trades before Thursday night, and director of basketball operations Danny Ainge maintains he doesn't anticipate any, the Celtics will exercise picks Nos. 16 and 20. The names most often mentioned as possible selections are 19-year-old Serbian Aleksandar Pavlovic and 21-year-old UNLV product Marcus Banks.

It may be premature to talk about development before the draft, but bringing along young players is a topic where Ainge and O'Brien must find common ground. Ainge insists the two already have an understanding about how to go forth. At the same time, it's clear O'Brien has strong feelings about who deserves playing time and why.

Regardless of whom the Celtics choose, the rookies must prove to O'Brien they deserve minutes. He wants to win every game and allots playing time with that goal. Ainge wouldn't mind giving younger players (Kedrick Brown and J.R. Bremer along with the two rookies) extra minutes in November if it meant the team was better prepared for the playoffs in April. And so begins the debate involved in developing players.