A look at offday headlines, including Boston's need to crank the tempo without a pure point guard:


* C'S NEED TO PUSH THE PACE: Celtics coach Doc Rivers looked like an overzealous traffic cop at times during the fourth quarter of Monday's game against the Miami Heat, his arms flailing as if his suit coat were on fire as he pleaded with his players to keep their collective foot on the offensive accelerator while emphatically motioning to move the ball up the floor. Here's the trouble: Since injuries have decimated Boston's backcourt depth, Rivers probably would be the best ballhandling guard on the court for the Celtics at any given time. So unless Boston is toying with the idea of a 51-year-old player/coach, the former All-Star point guard can only implore his team to mask the fact that it doesn't currently have a pure NBA point guard by getting into its offense as quickly as possible.