The Boston Celtics found a way to worm into the NBA playoffs a year ago in head coach Brad Stevens’ second season at the helm. Naturally, Celtics fans will be expecting (or at least hoping) for the 2015-16 season to yield an even better team. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but if Boston sends out the right unit and uses their roster correctly, they could easily lock down the 8th spot again and continue to improve.
How do they do that, though? Let’s analyze their roster and put together the ideal starting five and main rotation to map out a contender:
Starting 5: Marcus Smart (PG), Evan Turner (SG), Jae Crowder (SF), David Lee (PF), Amir Johnson (C)
The talk of Smart being benched needs to stop. He’s a plus defender who can hit spot-up three’s and has the size and athleticism to be an elite player. He still needs work on creating and scoring on his own, but these are attributes he flashed at a high level in college and should easily progress with moving forward. A shift to shooting guard wouldn’t be the worst move ever, but I like him just fine at the one and think he can excel there if given time.
With Smart locked in at the point, I like Turner at the two. He can play all three wing spots and might be best served as a three, but he’s actually a pretty good scorer and creator, so this is still a solid fit for him. He’s a versatile player who has the ability to defend, so if he plays to his talent you could do worse at the two spot. I’ll hear arguments to keep Avery Bradley here over him, as Turner is not a very efficient offensive player either, but he gives you more size and play-making ability than Bradley does.
Crowder is a no-brainer at the three spot, as he developed into a pretty reliable outside shooter and is also a very strong defender. He also got paid a ton of money this summer, so he’s going to start.
David Lee was brought in via trade and while the Celtics owe the 32-year old nothing, he still has fresh legs after sitting much of last season. He’s a defensive problem, but playing with Amir Johnson could help hide that, while no one else on this team can bring the combination of scoring and rebounding that he can. He’s a high energy guy that can get 15 points and 10 rebounds a night, if not more.
Johnson is a must at center to protect the rim, rebound and chip in on offense. He’s actually highly skilled offensively within five feet and if it weren’t for health woes, you’d hear him hyped up way more. I think he’s a bit of a free agent gem as he can tie together a tight defense and still offer some offensive upside down low.
This is not an elite starting unit by any means, but it very much is a strong one. Save for Lee, this is a starting five that can collectively create, score and defense at a moderate level. With a strong bench behind them and stellar coaching, this starting unit could have the Celtics looking even better come next season.
Main Bench: Isaiah Thomas (PG), Avery Bradley (SG), Jared Sullinger (PF), Tyler Zeller (C) and Kelly Olynyk (C)
The starting five is just solid, but this bench is absolutely beautiful. Isaiah Thomas is rumored to possibly end up starting, but that would ruin Smart’s development and distract IT2 from what he does best – just score the ball. As a 6th man he knows his job is to come in and produce points one way or another and he can do exactly that with no confusion about his role. Then there is Bradley and Sully, who could be terrific bench guys at shooting guard and power forward. Bradley can man the point in a pinch, can score in bunches and is a defensive ace. The problem? He’s not a true point guard, he’s under-sized for the two and he’s woefully erratic as a shooter. Bradley would best be served as a situational piece that can come in and play lockdown defense while also providing a scoring boost off the bench. The same goes for Sully, who probably is losing his starting gig due to poor conditioning. He can stretch the floor off the bench and hit the rebounds, but as a strong bench guy he’s not being asked to come in and dominate every night.
Zeller and Olynyk make up a very solid base at backup center, as both can play the floor if they absolutely have to and both have specific attributes at the five. I don’t think Olynyk is a starting center due to his weak defense, but he can shoot and score at a fairly high level. Zeller is largely there for his defense, so depending on the night and matchup, Stevens can use these guys as needed.
This is a string of very strong bench players that all could arguably start on any average team (especially this one). But as bench players, they form a very solid second unit for a young and rising team. The best part? We’re not even getting to the raw talent of R.J. Hunter (potential lights out three-point specialist), James Young (high upside two-way wing player), Terry Rozier (explosive lead guard and scorer) and Perry Jones (high upside forward ‘tweener).
It’s likely none of these guys will crack the regular rotation, but all have specific skill-sets that could make them names to watch.
Overall, Boston is a lot stronger than they look at first glance, but probably only if they stay the course with the right lineup. Stevens switched things up a lot last year, and while that at times worked in Boston’s favor, I think sticking with a set rotation (the one above) will benefit the team the most.
Think this rotation is all wrong? Let us hear who you’d play in Boston in the comments below!
