Boston Celtics 2016-17 NBA Training Camp Roster Rankings
The Boston Celtics enter the 2016-17 NBA season facing a new challenge within head coach Brad Stevens' tenure: high expectations.
After surprising the league with a 48-win campaign in 2015-16, the Celtics are considered among the Eastern Conference's elite after adding All-Star Al Horford to an already deep roster. It's a first for Stevens in his fourth year as head coach, but also a situation his boss expects him to embrace.
"It’s not different for me," team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of the added pressure the Celtics are facing. "It’s different for them, and time will tell with how they deal with those expectations. We are not going to be able to sneak up on anybody.
"I think that the team has earned a great deal of respect around the league with the way they played last year, the last couple years. That’s a good thing, that’s progress. That’s where we want to be. We want our expectations to be higher. Learning to live up to those expectations is part of growing."
As training camp begins, the Celtics depth chart will feel the weight of those expectations right off the bat, with several competitive battles for the team's final roster spots and rotation minutes. Here's a look at how the players stack up against each other, ranking the 17 players with a legitimate shot of making the team's final roster.
All statistics and contract information from Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
On the Bubble
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17. Ben Bentil
Bentil was a standout forward alongside Kris Dunn last season at Providence College before declaring for the NBA draft. He slid all the way to Boston at No. 51 on draft night, but the front office liked him enough to guarantee $250,000 of his salary for 2016-17 despite his long odds to make the roster.
Unless he surprises everyone and plays his way onto the team, the Celtics surely hope he agrees to play for the team's D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, upon his release.
16. James Young
In 2014, James Young was a borderline NBA lottery pick with plenty of upside as a 19-year-old. Just two years later, he's fighting for one of the final spots on a roster that's loaded with young talent. The 6'6" swingman has failed to show much promise on either end of the floor during two underwhelming seasons (mostly in the D-League), but he's studied one of the NBA's best this offseason in trying to earn another.
"I've been watching Paul George lately, all the clips that he's been doing," Young said Monday at Celtics media day. "He plays defense and offense, so I'm trying to mimic my game a little bit after his."
15. R.J. Hunter
Perimeter shooting has been a consistent problem for the Celtics during the Brad Stevens era, and Hunter did little to help that area during his rookie season. The 6'5" shooting guard shot a meager 30.2 percent from three-point range in 38 games.
There likely won't be room for him and Young on the team's 15-man roster, so he will have to show some gains on the offensive end to survive the final cutdown.
End of Bench
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14. Demetrius Jackson
Jackson was projected to be a first-round pick in 2016, but he was still on the board when the Celtics made their fourth choice of the night at No. 45.
Despite his quiet summer league performance, the Celtics brass are clearly fans of the 22-year-old guard, handing him one of the biggest contracts in NBA history for a second-round pick (4 years, $5.5 million). With a crowded backcourt ahead of him, Jackson will likely get plenty of seasoning with the Maine Red Claws during his rookie campaign.
13. Jordan Mickey
The 6'8" forward only played 16 games during his rookie season, but he developed quite well in regular minutes with the Red Claws. Mickey averaged a double-double in the D-League and posted a league-best 4.4 blocks per game. With Jared Sullinger out of the picture and Kelly Olynyk nursing a shoulder injury that could sideline him until November, Mickey will have a chance to push for some minutes with a strong training camp.
12. Jaylen Brown
One of the few shallow spots on the Celtics depth chart last season, wing factored into the team's decision to select Jaylen Brown, a 19-year-old swingman out of California, with the No. 3 overall pick. Stevens has already lauded Brown's defensive versatility, noting he has an "NBA body" with his 6'7" frame, but he'll have to outperform veteran addition Gerald Green out of the gate if he wants regular playing time.
Given his youth, Brown is already studying the Celtics playbook intensely in training camp to increase his odds.
"It’s just that learning curve," Brown told Bleacher Report at the first day of training camp Tuesday. "Everybody plays the game differently, and I’m just trying to speed up my learning curve. I know it’s going to be a big adjustment, and it’s going to take time."
11. Tyler Zeller
After starting 59 games during his first season with the Celtics in 2014-15, Zeller saw his role dramatically reduced with the team last year. He played in just 60 games overall and averaged a mere 11.8 minutes per game, both career lows.
Despite his limited role, the team opted to re-sign him to a two-year, $16 million deal this offseason to provide additional depth on the front line.
Key Reserves
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10. Gerald Green
Green will get a second shot in Boston nearly 10 years after the team traded the forward as a part of the Kevin Garnett blockbuster in 2007. The athletic wing signed on this summer to help fill the offensive void left by departed swingman Evan Turner, a role he should thrive in since he’s averaged 17.8 points per 36 minutes over his career.
“Obviously they told me a lot of scoring,” Green said. “Somebody that can score off the bench. Somebody who can fill the need of athleticism. Whatever. I'm a veteran player so what I'm going to do is be professional. Whatever role they give me, I'm going to do it.”
9. Terry Rozier
The door is open for Rozier to become an integral playmaker off the bench this season and alongside Marcus Smart in the backcourt. The 6'1" guard stood out during summer league action in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, averaging 20.0 points per game and hitting an impressive 43.8 percent of his three-point attempts.
If he can carry over that strong performance into the season, he will be a regular part of Stevens’ rotation.
8. Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, making him a question mark for the start of the regular season. Whenever he returns to full health, the 25-year-old 7-footer will be needed to help space the floor with his team-best 40 percent accuracy from three-point range.
7. Jonas Jerebko
Jerebko's emergence was one of the few bright spots during Boston's first-round defeat to the Atlanta Hawks. The 6'10" Swede stepped into the starting lineup in Game 3 and responded with a pair of double-doubles.
Horford's acquisition will likely push Jerebko back to the bench this year, but his three-point shooting and defensive versatility should lead to an increased role off the pine.
6. Marcus Smart
Smart has been one of the league's best young backcourt defenders since he was drafted in 2014 at No. 6 overall, but the Celtics need him to take a big step forward with his offensive consistency during his third NBA season. The 6'4" guard had the lowest shooting averages among the team's regulars, making just 34.8 percent of his field-goal attempts.
5. Amir Johnson
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Amir Johnson was one of few consistent frontcourt members last season. His averages of 7.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game don't jump off the page, but a number of advanced metrics demonstrate Johnson's influence on the Celtics' success.
He ranked fifth out of all eligible power forwards in ESPN's real plus-minus with a plus-2.95. He was also second best among Boston's regulars in defensive rating (102). Those kind of beneath-the-surface metrics should only improve with new addition Horford patrolling the paint with him in 2016.
Horford's presence on the perimeter should also enhance Johnson's efficiency on the offensive end. The veteran was one of Boston's best shooters (58.5% FG) from the field last season and will see better looks in the interior with Horford spreading the floor via his three-point shooting.
4. Avery Bradley
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Avery Bradley re-established himself as one of the league's best defenders last year after being named to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team as the top guard vote-getter.
He should maintain that notoriety with a strong defensive back line behind him in Horford and Johnson. Bradley's main focus as he heads into year seven is building upon a career-best offensive output (15.3 PPG) during which he asserted himself as a strong secondary option to Isaiah Thomas within the first unit.
"I think, for me now, going into my seventh season, is just all about opportunity," Bradley said. "The more opportunities and the more situations that I’m put in, I feel like I’d be able to show different parts of my game. That’s where I am now. I want to become a better shooter, shoot a better percentage every single year. I feel like that was down from last year. I think it all just comes down to hard work and believing in myself and going out there and playing the game of basketball without thinking."
Bradley shot 36.1 percent from three-point range last season; his career average is 36 percent. He'll not only look to improve that number, but also increase his attempts from beyond the arc (5.4 per game) as well.
3. Jae Crowder
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For the first five months of last season Jae Crowder emerged as an integral piece of Boston's young core. He posted career highs of 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game after winning the starting small forward job out of training camp.
His versatility on defense also allowed Stevens to opt for smaller lineups with Crowder at the 4 that thrived down the stretch of games.
The good vibes faded sharply in March and April, however, after an ankle injury hampered his productivity. The wing shot a dismal 27.8 percent from the field against the Hawks in Boston's first-round postseason exit, and he acknowledged how big of a factor the ankle was.
"It’s unfortunate that the injury happened," Crowder explained at Celtics media day, "That late in the year, and I thought I was ready to go and bounce back. But I was more fatigued, my ankle was more fatigued than I really realized. Right now I’m healthy, I took a lot of time off right when the season ended. I trained, I trained my mind, and the way I finished and the season ended last year really gave me a chip on my shoulder to get better, and to get in the lab and work and get better at the things I need to work on. I think everything happens for a reason."
In 2016-17, Crowder will try to bounce back with a clean slate of health and prove his big numbers through the first five months of last season were not a fluke. If he does, he'll once again prove to be one of the league's best bargains after signing a five-year, $35 million contract in July 2015.
2. Al Horford
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Al Horford is the Boston Celtics' biggest free-agent signing in team history, and the three-time All-Star is expected to be an anchor for his new squad on both ends of the floor.
He'll especially help the team's offensive efficiency, particularly since he's added a reliable three-point shot to his arsenal. The 6'10" center took a career-high 256 three-point attempts and hit a respectable 34.4 percent of them. During his previous eight seasons combined, Horford only attempted 65 shots from beyond the arc.
"Just looking at the way the NBA is going and how much the game is changing, I felt it was important for me to add that to my game," Horford said. "It’s a credit to Coach Budenholzer in Atlanta. He encouraged me to take those shots; he encouraged me to take those threes. He was like, 'It’ll make you a better player. You’ll be a threat out there. You can do it.' And that really gave me the confidence to go out and do it.
"This year I don’t know if I’ll take as many; I don’t know if I’ll take even more. It’s a shot I’m comfortable with. I’ve worked a lot on it this summer, but I know where my game is. I know I have to play inside-out, and that’s how I’ll approach it."
The Celtics struggled mightily from long distance (27th in 3-point percentage) last season, in large part due to Sullinger's unreliable outside stroke (28.2% from that range). Horford's insertion into the lineup should provide a strong uptick in that area while also enhancing Boston's defensive ceiling.
1. Isaiah Thomas
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Outside of Isaiah Thomas, only six players in the NBA averaged at least 22 points and six assists per game during the 2015-16 regular season. That kind of production led to an All-Star appearance for the 5'9" point guard as he carried the offense on a near nightly basis.
Thomas will have some help in that department this season, thanks to the additions of Horford and Green.
Yet the 27-year-old is committed to maintaining his increased output for the long haul as he enters his prime years.
"I changed my diet," Thomas said at media day. "I hired a personal chef back home, and I’m eating vegetables for the first time since when my dad used to make me. I eliminated fast food. You guys have heard it before—I want to play until I’m 40."
With enhanced weapons surrounding him on the offensive end, Thomas will have to balance his own scoring with setting up teammates as he tries to turn Boston from a Cinderella into a legitimate Eastern Conference contender.
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