With the start of the season exactly 4 weeks away (and with my ticket for the game in-hand), I doubt I'm the only one that's hanging on the words coming out of training camp. And today, we get notes on the first practice. From Peter Stringer, Celtics.com:

NEWPORT, RI - The Celtics started off camp with a hard three-hour practice this morning at Salve Regina, and while Coach Doc Rivers said it was apparent that the team's conditioning needs some work, he liked his team's energy and thinks that they have a leg up with so many returning players who already know his system.

"I thought our guys came with the right energy," Rivers said of the morning session, which ended right around 1 p.m.. "It's different from last year. A lot of our guys can pick up stuff quicker. The guys returning [know our stuff]."

One guy who knows the stuff but can't show it is Kendrick Perkins, who's still restricted to non-contact drills only, and spent the end of Monday morning's session watching teammates scrimmage. Perkins got some extra midrange shooting in at the end of the session, but according to Rivers, he isn't expected to really take part in any of the training camp or play in at least the first four exhibition games.

With Perk on the shelf, newcomer Patrick O'Bryant got the nod to play with the green team alongside Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

"Patrick gets to play with the starters all practice. That can't hurt a guy like him. He's the only other tall guy," Rivers said, noting that while the media's been talking about Posey's departure, he's more concerned with the absence of P.J. Brown. "Patrick has a chance to take that role."