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Raef LaFrentz Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images FAST FACTS Record: 36-46 (8th in East) Points Scored: 95.3 (8th in NBA) Points Allowed: 96.7 (20th) Coach: Doc Rivers (first season with the Celtics) 2004 Schedule | 2004 Draft Picks | 2003 Stats Mark Blount's 56.6% career field goal shooting ranks first on the team alltime (minimum 2,000 attempts), ahead of Cedric Maxwell's 55.9%. PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP With 2003-04 statistics MARK BLOUNT POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT% C 158 10.3 7.2 0.9 1.29 0.98 56.6 71.9 RAEF LAFRENTZ POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT% PF 127 7.8 4.6 1.4 0.76 0.47 46.0 76.9 RICKY DAVIS POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT% SG 98 14.1 4.5 3.3 1.22 46.9 37.1 71.8 GARY PAYTON POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT% PG 52 14.6 4.2 5.5 1.17 47.1 33.3 71.4 PAUL PIERCE POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% 3FG% SF 9 23.0 6.5 5.1 0.65 1.64 40.2 29.9  BENCH PVR 2003-04 Stats G-F JIRI WELSCH 193 9.2 ppg 3.7 rpg 2.3 apg 1.25 spg 42.8 FG% F AL JEFFERSON (R) 198 42.6 ppg 18.0 rpg 4.0 apg 7.0 bpg F TOM GUGLIOTTA 223 2.9 ppg 3.4 rpg 1.1 apg 0.56 spg 34.5 FG% G MARCUS BANKS 242 5.9 ppg 1.6 rpg 2.2 apg 1.09 spg 40.0 FG% F WALTER McCARTY 283 7.9 ppg 3.1 rpg 0.94 spg 39.8 FG% 37.4 3FG%

A rebuilding team's fortunes will depend heavily on one rebuilt knee

The Celtics are trying to rebuild with youthful athleticism, yet their immediate future depends largely on a 28-year-old veteran who's recovering from right-knee surgery. Last October director of basketball operations Danny Ainge acquired Raef LaFrentz from Dallas in a five-player deal, hoping the versatile power forward would help Boston duplicate the Kings' fluid style. But after the Celtics' doctors saw an MRI that showed the tissue degeneration in LaFrentz's knee, the trade was held up while Ainge considered sending him back. "It was 50-50," says LaFrentz. "They knew it was a problem that would have to be taken care of."

After watching LaFrentz struggle through 17 games, Ainge gave him the go-ahead to have surgery last December, over the objections of coach Jim O'Brien. (The dispute was among many factors that led O'Brien to quit in January.) But Ainge was willing to sacrifice last season to have LaFrentz healthy this year. "His glute and quad were each atrophied three inches on his bad leg," says Ainge. "Raef needed long-term rehab to build back the muscles."

Though the 6'11" LaFrentz was still feeling pain during training camp, his rebounding and shot blocking convinced new coach Doc Rivers that he can ignite the Celtics' fast break. (In 2001-02 LaFrentz ranked second in the NBA with 2.73 blocks a game.) The Celtics are also counting on LaFrentz and his backup, Tom Gugliotta -- another veteran with a history of knee trouble -- to pass and score from the high post, which will help jump-start the half-court offense. "Our smalls [Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis and Gary Payton] can post up and our bigs can shoot, so we're going to be inverted a lot," Rivers says. "Raef's ability to shoot or pass from behind the three-point line should really open things up." -- Ian Thomsen