Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Fall is in the air, and that means winter is around the corner. Actually, in New England that really means winter is here, but just hasn’t smacked us upside the head yet.

That smack will be accompanied by the sound of basketballs bouncing as hoop season nears. The Boston Celtics are gearing up for training camp to kickoff next week and the first preseason game on Oct. 10 in Cleveland.

As the season approaches we’ll be giving you more from the players and staff, but here are some of the preliminary things for Celtics fans to look for.

Health issues minimal as season starts
As of Wednesday the Celtics are saying that the only player who is not at full strength is third-year guard Delonte West. He has had back problems for the last few weeks and has been around the team’s facility in Waltham, mostly watching and riding the stationary bike.

Kendrick Perkins (left shoulder), Al Jefferson (right ankle), and Paul Pierce (left elbow) all had “successful minor arthroscopic surgery� since the end of last season. Pierce, who signed a contract extension on July 18, has been working out in Las Vegas. Jefferson and Perkins have been working out in Boston in recent weeks.

Guys will get comfortable on the bench
One of the criticisms of head coach Doc Rivers last season was that there was no set rotation and that the team may have been trying to look at too many guys in game action at the detriment of others. This season Doc and Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge have indicated that this will most likely not be the case this season. Specifically, Ainge says he believes a group of young players will “separate themselves� from the pack.

Don’t expect moves for the sake of moves
The average age of the Celtics players is 24 years old, but Ainge has said repeatedly that he is not interested in adding veterans for the lone fact that they’re veterans. He insists he is always looking for ways to make his team better, but bringing in a more experienced guy, who may have not have a higher talent level than the current players, is of no interest to him.

Upgrades to the Gaaaahden
The TD Banknorth Garden has undergone several upgrades since the end of last season. Included in the changes are upgrades to the sound system, the facades along the concourse and concession areas, as well as a first among NBA arenas. The Garden will be the first arena to have a completely high definition scoreboard monitor system.

The Celtics have also lowered prices on some of the seating areas that were previously $40 down to $20.

How are you folks in cyber space feeling about the Celtics this season? Are there questions that they need to answer this season? Players on the hot seat? Coach on the hot seat?