Complete Boston Celtics 2014-15 Training Camp Preview

Coming off a season that featured the third-lowest win total in franchise history, the Boston Celtics will head into their 2014-15 training camp licking large, open wounds. 

The Celtics tried hard to turn things around overnight, but a relatively quiet summer yielded no additional superstar firepower. So instead, it’s looking like their fate is the lottery...again.

But even though a championship feels light-years away, things probably won’t be as dire as last season. The team has several fresh faces and a healthy Rajon Rondo, plus the infusion of some serious young talent. 

Here’s a breakdown of each position and every player who’s expected to make Boston's final roster. They're ranked by how Brad Stevens should arrange his depth chart, even though things in real life will be much more fluid as the season goes along.

1. Point Guards

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1. Rajon Rondo. (6'1", 186 pounds)

Rajon Rondo’s name may forever find itself caught in the inescapable net of trade rumors, but until the day he either signs elsewhere or is actually moved, let's all agree to simply view him as the best player on the Celtics.

Rondo has the potential to do a lot of special things this season, the last of his current contract. He can lead the NBA in assists, win Comeback Player of the Year, post career-high scoring numbers and finally make defenses respect his inconsistent jump shot. That’s all possible.

He can also resume his spot as an All-Star and, more impressively, lead the Celtics to the playoffs.

He’s controversial, but very, very good. Chances are Boston would be making a major mistake trading him away. Fans of the team (and Brad Stevens) should hope the C's don't.

2. Marcus Smart (6'4", 220 pounds)

The sixth overall pick in last June’s draft, Marcus Smart figures to have an immediate impact on the Celtics. His role is unclear (will he back up Rondo or play most of his minutes beside him at shooting guard?), but his skill set is not.

A bullish defender who can also muscle his way to the rim, get to the free-throw line and create for others, Smart will help Boston on both ends of the floor. He isn’t Reggie Miller from behind the three-point line, but right now he can handle the ball, run a pick-and-roll and dominate small guards in the post. 

Stevens will greatly enjoy having Smart’s skills at his disposal, no matter his specific responsibilities.

3. Phil Pressey (5'11", 175 pounds)

The third-string point guard is very small (he's listed generously at 5’11”). This hurts him on defense and as a penetrating weapon trying to score in the paint.

But Pressey’s passing ability was on full display as a rookie last season. He was one of the team's most dependable decision-makers, posting an impressive 30.8 percent assist rate in 1,132 minutes.

Unfortunately, Pressey's inability to do much else gives Stevens little reason to play him big minutes, especially with all the other talent crowded in the Celtics’ backcourt. Pressey shot 30.8 percent from the floor and 26.4 percent from behind the three-point line, too. That's not good.

2. Shooting Guards

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1. Avery Bradley (6'2", 180 pounds)

Set to begin a four-year, $32 million contract, Avery Bradley's role with the Celtics is more concrete than ever before. He's the starting shooting guard. The deadly defensive mosquito. The limited ball-handler who can really shoot, both off the dribble and standing still in the corner.

Bradley isn't a star, but he's a tremendous cog. He does all the little things necessary to win and, thanks to a healthy Rajon Rondo, will be even better in 2014-15 than he was last season, in which he went through intense growing pains in a role that never felt natural.

He'll be more efficient this year and less worried about getting everyone else involved on offense, which will also help his energy level on the other end.

2. Evan Turner (6'7", 220 pounds)

It's tough to have any expectations for Evan Turner this season. The former No. 2 overall pick was having a tremendous statistical campaign with the uptempo Philadelphia 76ers last year before a midseason trade to the Indiana Pacers obliterated all the good will.

Turner was a shell of himself in Indiana. He could not get off the bench in the playoffs and was unable to earn the trust of his new coach, Frank Vogel, especially regarding defensive rotations and awareness.

In Boston, he'll hopefully have the opportunity to focus on his scoring, boosting a morose offensive team from the depths of incompetence.

3. Marcus Thornton (6'4", 205 pounds)

The poor man's Jamal Crawford. Marcus Thornton is a fiery gunner off the bench. He shoots a ton and isn't terrible at creating his own look or making the type of baskets that must be seen to be believed. 

How this helps the Celtics is uncertain, especially if Thornton can't get his shooting percentage up from last season's career-worst 39.4 percent.

4. James Young (6'6", 215 pounds)

James Young just celebrated his 19th birthday, so don't expect much from him this season. He could very well spend most of the year with Boston's D-League affiliate, but if he contributes in the NBA it will most likely be as a spot-up three-point shooter.

3. Small Forwards

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1. Jeff Green (6'9", 235 pounds)

Jeff Green led the Celtics in scoring last season (a career-high 16.9 points per game), but that production sounds more impressive than it really was. He shot 41.2 percent from the floor, rarely created opportunities for others and was his typically inconsistent self. 

Green played in every game, but as Boston's lead option he somehow managed to score fewer than 10 points 14 different times. He devolved into a one-dimensional player who wasn't all that great in his single area of expertise. 

But context played a factor. This year, no longer Boston's primary scoring option, Green should up his efficiency numbers and get back on track as the extremely athletic and entertaining role player he once was.

2. Gerald Wallace (6'7", 220 pounds)

Gerald Wallace is almost too closely associated with his exorbitant contract (approximately $20.2 million over the next two years) to fairly conceptualize his production. 

He's now a 32-year-old, 13-year veteran coming off season-ending surgery who still holds value as a competitive on-ball defender. But that's where the accolades end. He can't shoot, pass or drive without turning it over. And has anyone mentioned his contract?

4. Power Forwards

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1. Jared Sullinger (6'9", 260 pounds)

Boston is loaded at power forward, but Jared Sullinger stands out as the most important of the bunch. Heading into his third season, Sullinger has already established himself as one of the NBA's best pound-for-pound rebounders. 

He grabbed 13.0 percent of all available offensive boards while on the court last season, which was seventh-highest in the league. His 16.7 total rebound percentage came in at 21st. 

Sullinger wasn't able to stretch his range beyond the three-point line but shot 45.6 percent from 16-23 feet. The sample size here was small but hopeful, and his touch around the rim was better than in his rookie year. He'll be a force again this season.

2. Kelly Olynyk (7'0", 238 pounds)

Olynyk could have a very impressive sophomore season. The 7-footer was incredibly efficient down the stretch of his rookie year, and life will only be easier with Rondo back in the fold.

Much more about Olynyk's upcoming season can be gleamed from a column I wrote yesterday.

3. Brandon Bass (6'8", 250 pounds)

Brandon Bass is not the worst power forward on the Boston Celtics, but that also doesn't mean he deserves the most playing time. It's a contract year for Bass, whose age and skill set don't quite fit in with the team's long-term goals. 

There's a good chance he'll be traded before the deadline. If not, playing him will only help the team win games, which they still shouldn't be trying to do.

5. Centers

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1. Tyler Zeller (7'0", 253 pounds)

The Celtics acquired Tyler Zeller in the same three-team deal that allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to offer LeBron James a max contract—which in turn sent Kevin Love to Cleveland instead of Boston, indefinitely delaying the team's rebuild. 

Zeller isn't Love, but acquiring him (and, more importantly, Cleveland's top-10-protected 2016 pick) was still the right decision. Zeller is a coordinated human who plays center. The Celtics badly needed one of those, and they acquired him on a rookie-scale deal until the 2016-17 season.

Zeller can play both ends, run the floor, rebound and shoot. With any luck, he'll grow into something more over the next couple of years.

2. Vitor Faverani (6'11, 260 pounds)

Vitor Faverani is a big body who can't stay healthy or in shape. He fouls like a madman (5.5 personals per 36 minutes) and isn't good enough of a shooter to stretch the defense. He quickly fell out of Boston's rotation last season, and despite the team's need for height, there's no reason to think he'll find his way back in anytime soon.

3. Joel Anthony (6'9", 245 pounds)

It's sort of remarkable that Joel Anthony has a roster spot in the NBA. Even crazier: He'll make over twice the league minimum this season ($3.8 million). Anthony is tall, though, can fight for rebounds and play semi-acceptable pick-and-roll defense. 

Tough for him, but that won't be enough to earn any playing time.

All statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com or NBA.com unless otherwise noted. 

Michael Pina covers the NBA for Bleacher Report, Sports on Earth, FOX Sports, ESPN, Grantland and elsewhere. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelVPina.