The time the team spent before camp seems to have eased the transition into camp. There's some rust to be sure, but it sounds like the coaching staff was pleased with the first day of work and the players were happy with it as well. One player in particular seems to have stood out the most. No surprise who it is.

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Celtics Insider" Blog Archive " Rondo steps up in first practice

Paul Pierce was asked if anyone stood out in the opening session. "Rondo looked great today," said Pierce. "He’s pushing the ball. He looks strong. He’s knocking down his shot. He’s TAKING his shot. But that’s what we want from him, and that’s what we’re going to expect from him. "You know, he’s our leader. We’re going to look for him to do a lot of good things for us."

Interesting that Pierce is picking up on the "Rondo is our leader" mantra. With Ray leaving town, it truly seems like the team has turned a page into a new chapter of this era.