Celtics' Updated Rotation After Early Free-Agent Contracts
Brad Stevens kept plenty busy during his first NBA offseason as Boston Celtics president of basketball operations.
Al Horford returned, Josh Richardson arrived and Dennis Schroder somehow sneaked in at the buzzer. Meanwhile, Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier were given their walking papers.
Boston's world still revolves around All-Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but the roster has some new touches around them.
That means it's time for a reset with an early look at the possible 2021-22 rotation.
Starters
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Point Guard: Marcus Smart
Shooting Guard: Dennis Schroder
Small Forward: Jaylen Brown
Power Forward: Jayson Tatum
Center: Robert Williams III
New Celtics skipper Ime Udoka has a few decisions to make here.
Up first is the backcourt, where some might be surprised to see Smart listed at point guard and Schroder at shooting guard. Well, position labels don't matter much in the modern NBA, and if they did, Udoka has expressed a desire to put the ball in Smart's hands more. That would also free up Schroder to focus more on scoring, where he does his best work.
Skip past the locked-in forward spots, and there's another debate at center.
Williams is a bit undersized (6'8"), but his motor, bounce and length (7'5" wingspan) help him play bigger than he is. He also has good feel for a 23-year-old without a lot of NBA games under his belt, but if Udoka prioritizes instincts and awareness on the interior, then Horford could get back his old starting spot.
Reserves
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Point Guard: Payton Pritchard, Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards
Shooting Guard: Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford
Small Forward: Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams
Power Forward: Al Horford, Jabari Parker
Center: Enes Kanter, Bruno Fernando
Want a prediction that's in no way bold? Boston won't carry this many point guards into the regular season.
Tack Smart and Schroder on to this position group, and the Shamrocks have five players at the lead guard spot. That's at least one too many, and this might not be the only spot where Boston seeks to subtract. The team has examined trade avenues for Dunn and Fernando, per B/R's Jake Fischer, and Edwards could wind up on the hot seat after failing to carve out a niche across his first two seasons.
If Richardson isn't moved into the starting lineup for more size—slotting Schroder into a high-minute sixth-man role—then he could pace this bench mob in floor time. Nesmith, Pritchard, Horford and Kanter could be nightly regulars too.
A healthy Langford theoretically could be a shot in the arm for Boston, although he showed little in his first two injury-riddled campaigns. Parker might be a source of quick-strike scoring if the Celtics pick up the remainder of his partially guaranteed contract.
Roster Questions
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All eyes are on Schroder, who must be miffed after betting on himself and losing big in free agency.
He infamously declined a four-year, $84 million extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers last season, which didn't seem too outlandish at the time. Optimistic maybe but not outrageous since the cap-crunched Lakers seemingly had no means of replacing him.
Then L.A. swung an out-of-nowhere deal for Russell Westbrook, the point guard market dried up quickly in free agency and Schroder had to settle for a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Celtics, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. An angry Schroder on a prove-it pact could provide quite a jolt to this attack.
Otherwise Horford's return is a fun story that could quickly become more than that if he proves he has a lot left in the tank. He's a cerebral player at both ends of the floor who should get the ball hopping on offense and won't miss rotations defensively.
Finally, which of the young players outperforms expectations? Nesmith seems the likeliest candidate, since Pritchard feels relatively established after a strong rookie season, but don't rule out Langford just yet. He was a lottery pick in 2019 for a reason (No. 14 overall), and maybe his first healthy offseason will lay the foundations for a big leap.
