It's all new, fresh for Celtics

Focus is repeat, not last season

Kevin Garnett seems more than happy to get the Celtics' title defense under way. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

WALTHAM - A year ago, the Celtics were on a transoceanic flight for preseason training. They did not know they would be parading through Boston in duck boats nine months later.

The Celtics are staying closer to home this time, opening camp today in Newport, R.I. But coach Doc Rivers and the players are planning to be back on the amphibious vehicles again next year.

"We were anointed all last year, but this time we earned that right," Rivers said yesterday. "We were on all the magazine covers without having done anything, and that actually bothered me a lot. This year, we can say we've done something, and we want to do it again. It's pressure but it's good pressure, the kind of pressure you want."

Last season, the Celtics were considered the NBA's team to beat, but questions were raised concerning the compatibility of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce. Now, the Celtics are again the team to beat - they begin their title defense vs. Cleveland Oct. 28 - and there is no concern about complementing, comprehending, or conviviality.

The Big Three were as one during a media gathering at the team's practice facility, sitting together for a news conference, posing together for pictures as artificial smoke swirled, an effect Garnett seemed to especially appreciate. The threesome seemed as in synch in what they were saying as they were when they were playing.

"Once we won the championship, sitting on that stage, a couple things came into my mind," Allen said. "Because we all had watched that moment throughout our careers, in all sports. The second moment was the parade and then the first game of the season, waiting to get the rings.

"All summer long, people kept asking me to see my ring. I've been looking forward to it."

Though the Celtics established their reputation winning successive NBA championships in the '60s, winning consecutive titles is a thing of the past for the team - of the current players, only guard Sam Cassell has done so, with Houston.

"As Sam said, we all know the first championship how hard it is to do. [Repeating is] the hardest thing to do," Garnett said. "We're looking forward to it. The bull's-eye has been on our back and we accept that. We've been chasing championships and other guys win it. The bull's-eye is on us, and it's not like we're going to back down from that. We have a good team, good guys, we're deeper. We're eager. A lot of the questions I've been getting, 'Are you still hungry?' Obviously, we want to continue with that.

"We are not going to dwell on what happened last year. This is a new year and we have a new goal. We are not going to answer a lot of questions about last year, we are going to talk about going forward. The three of us are very competitive. We're still hungry."

Allen said of the offseason, "For me it was more relaxing, as short as it was. When you don't make the playoffs and you fall short of expectations, July and August, you are pressing so hard, working on so many things, thinking about the shortcomings you had looking back on that year. This summer, we afforded ourselves the right to relax. So a lot of us were still celebrating and enjoying it, and having that blueprint for success made it a lot easier to relax and not have to stress so much.

"It forced us, when we talked about it, we have to work even more because to repeat makes it even tougher in the offseason because you have to get in shape sooner."

Garnett paid tribute to P.J. Brown (retired) and James Posey (New Orleans), whose last appearances for the Celtics were in a 131-92 victory over Los Angeles in Game 6 of the Finals.

"This is a test for our maturity," Garnett said. "It's a great opportunity for us to show our growth, how far we've come, what we've learned. We see ourselves as being leaders and want to show what we've learned from guys like Pose and P.J. in the Finals and, if anything, to sort of show our maturity when we get in that situation.

"I think this year we're more mature and it's a chance to show our maturity to some of the young guys."

Brown's 15-year career helped the Celtics stars put last season in perspective.

"Remember, P.J. retired last year," Pierce said. "And we had to beg him to come out. He finally accomplished the goal he wanted his whole career. It would be hard to get him back now."