The short-summer is over, and school is back in session for the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics (that doesn't get old, does it?). To help bring in the new season, Steve Bulpett breaks down his handful of issues facing the Celtics this season.

Mark Murphy also has concerns for the Celtics heading into the season:

The deadliest threesome in the NBA notwithstanding, the Celtics will open training camp at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I., this week with a number of troubling holes in the hull of their championship ship.

Kendrick Perkins, recovering from the third shoulder surgery of his young career, is not ready for full contact, though Danny Ainge indicated yesterday the Celtics center should be ready once the exhibition games start.

“Perk will do everything in camp except live contact for the first week,” the team’s director of basketball operations said. “Then we will progressively add things on as the second week goes on, to the point where we’re hopeful that by the third week we’re hopeful he’ll do everything, including playing in exhibition games.”