``I held my own on the court. I'm a good player."

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

Boston hopes rookie can pick up the tempo

By HOWARD ULMAN
.c The Associated Press 

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) - Danny Ainge played on running teams when the <A HREF="aol://1722:Celtics">Boston 
Celtics</A> won their last three NBA titles in the 1980s. Now he wants them to run 
again in his first season in their front office.

They may have just the man to lead the charge in rookie point guard Marcus 
Banks.

``He's a guy that fits the profile,'' said Ainge, the executive director of 
basketball operations, ``but I've seen a lot of guys fit the profile and not 
pan out. So Marcus has to prove that he can do it.''

The first-round draft pick from UNLV doesn't mind the pressure on him to 
contribute quickly.

``It's a great feeling for those guys to be basically looking at me like I've 
been here three or four years,'' Banks said. ``I have a lot to prove and I 
have no problem with that.''

Last season, Tony Delk and J.R. Bremer, neither an experienced point guard, 
shared the job. But forward Antoine Walker brought the ball up much of the 
time.

``It takes away from some of Antoine's game,'' Ainge said. ``I think it 
forced him to play more on the perimeter.''

Walker and Paul Pierce are still the Celtics' most dangerous offensive 
players, and zones make it tougher to run as teams did in the 1980s when Boston had 
Larry Bird and the <A HREF="aol://1722:Lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</A> had Magic Johnson.

Ainge just wants his team, which was swept by up-tempo New Jersey in last 
season's Eastern Conference semifinals, to know how to run so it can capitalize 
on steals and defensive rebounds.

Too often last season, defensive pressure kept Boston from running and that 
left too little time to set up a good shot.

``We've got to try to create easy buckets and, hopefully, adding Marcus, a 
point guard with some speed, we can, hopefully, do that a little bit,'' Walker 
said.

The 6-foot-2 Banks spent two seasons at Dixie College in Utah, then averaged 
17.3 points and 3.5 assists in two seasons at Las Vegas. He was drafted by 
Memphis with the 13th pick on June 26, then sent to Boston in a trade involving 
three other draftees.

Mike James, a free agent who spent two seasons with Miami, also can play 
point guard but Banks should get the best shot at the job.

He played with Walker and Pierce this summer and has competed against NBA 
guards Steve Francis, Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Gary Payton and Chauncey 
Billups.

``I held my own on the court,'' Banks said. ``I'm a good player. They're good 
players.''
   
10/04/03 15:08 EDT
                
    
CeltsSteve