Danny Ainge would like Boston to play two point guards at a time, and it could do so with Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, June 30, 2006

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Danny Ainge likes the Boston Celtics to play two point guards at a time, and they should be able to do that next season with newcomers Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo.

That's quite a change for a team that had to use shooting guard Delonte West as last year's starting point guard.

"I'm big into having multiple point guards on the court," Ainge, Boston's executive director of basketball operations, said yesterday. "Maybe it comes from my experience coaching in Phoenix. On the same team and on the court together . . . we had Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson."

The Celtics acquired Telfair and Rondo in trades during Wednesday night's NBA Draft. They got Telfair, who spent the last two seasons in the NBA, from Portland, then obtained Rondo from Phoenix, which had taken him with the 21st pick.

"We have two great point guards coming in this year," Rondo said yesterday at the Celtics' practice facility, where he had worked out for the second time Monday. "I think it's a great fit. We're both fast. The game is changing. It's more uptempo now."

The 6-foot-1 Rondo averaged 11.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.9 points as a sophomore at Kentucky last season. He is considered an above-average defender.

"He can pressure the ball and guard bigger guys," Ainge said. "He's got great anticipation and great athleticism on defense. What he has to get a lot better at is defending the pick-and-roll."

And shooting. He hit just 27 percent of his 3-point attempts last season.

"There's always going to be critics," Rondo said. "Everybody has a weakness. But my intangibles overshadow that. My role is . . . to get those guys the balls and when they get double-teamed I have to hit the open shot. I hope I become a great shooter, but I don't think I have to be."

Rondo could get the ball to shooters Paul Pierce and Wally Sczerbiak for open attempts. He also is an above-average rebounder for his size.

"The one thing I think Rajon does better than even players in the NBA is he gets loose balls and rebounds from that guard position," Ainge said. "Those are the things that separate him."

He also thinks Rondo and Telfair are "much better in transition" than the Celtics have been in the past.

"We think Rajon has a chance to be a fantastic, fantastic player in this league," Ainge said. "He's got a lot of special skills, and if he puts the work in and dedicates himself like we think he will based on his history and character, he has a chance to be very special."