BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – Paul Pierce is the star, Gary Payton the big offseason acquisition, Ricky Davis the outspoken lightning rod, and four rookies are the future.

When pundits look at the Celtics, rarely do they spend a passing minute talking about Walter McCarty.

The longest tenured Celtic is ready to start the season, and ready to do the same bang up job this season that has been consistently overlooked throughout his career.

McCarty, 30, beginning his ninth professional year, has played an average of 64 games for Boston in his seven years with the team. He averaged just under 8 points per game last season and pulled down more than 200 rebounds for the third time in his career.

“He’s the rock. He’s been here,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Walter is a guy you can play for 30 straight games or play every other game and you’re pretty sure when you put him in, that when you close your eyes, you can be very comfortable with him in the game. That’s a great guy to have on your team.”

McCarty, a 6-10 forward, says the team can win the realigned Atlantic Division, which includes New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and this year Toronto. Miami left the division as part of the realignment.

“I just want to win, go play hard and win,” said McCarty, a fan favorite because of his work ethic. “I don’t care if my name is in the paper, or if I’m scoring a lot of points or not. I just want to be on a team who thinks team first, and we go out there and play as a team and win as a team.”

The Knicks selected McCarty out of Kentucky in the first round (19th overall) in the 1996 draft. He was traded to Boston a year later, and in the 97-98 season averaged a career best 9.6 points per game and grabbed 364 rebounds, also a career high.

His career averages are 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. But teammates say McCarty provides much more than his numbers indicate.

“He’s going to always help us,” Payton said. “He’s going to do it with his shooting, and with his veteran leadership. That’s the type of guy you want. You want people to forget about him and then he comes and kills you.”

AP-ES-10-08-04 1711EDT