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Celtics’ Training Camp Roster is Set

By Joshua Bateman

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With media day beginning the dreaded offseason is finally behind us and the Boston Celtics are ready to get going into training camp. The Celtics have finally set their roster and it has a few unfamiliar faces and names.

In addition to Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, R.J Hunter, Jonas Jerebko, Amir Johnson, Perry Jones, David Lee, Jordan Mickey, Kelly Olynyk, Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Jared Sullinger, Isaiah Thomas, Evan Turner, James Young and Tyler Zeller who were already with the team, the Celtics have added four new players who will be getting an opportunity to show case their talents.

According to NBA.com the Celtics have signed two guards in Levi Randolph and Corey Walden and two forwards in Coty Clarke and Malcolm Miller.

None of these four additions can have high aspirations of actually making the roster. Especially for the two guards, the Celtics have a tremendous amount of depth and they would have to take the place of a player that is much more established on the team.

The same goes for the power forward position, but if any of these players are able to make a name for themselves at the small forward position then they will have an opportunity to make the team.

Jae Crowder should be a lock for the starting unit but it becomes very uncertain after that. The Celtics have the likes of Jerebko, Turner, Lee and Jones who all have experience playing the small forward position. However, none of them are comfortable enough in that position to be full time backups.

Apr 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Shawn Marion at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

A lot of different players may get minutes at the small forward position but the Celtics lack a natural small forward for the second unit.

Coty Clarke comes in at 6’7 and 232 pounds and that immediately gives him a head start. The Celtics need a player that can physically matchup with strong athletes but they want to maintain their small ball. Clarke was also a phenomenal defender at Arkansas and that is exactly what the Celtics need behind Crowder.

Clarke had defensive ratings of 92.4 and 91.4 in his two college seasons and that will need to translate to the next level if he wants a roster spot. The Celtics have accepted sub par offensive players in favor of defensive guys and it becomes even more important when they are backing up the top defender on the team. Clarke will still have a very difficult task of making the roster but his physical attributes put him in a strong position.

Mar 8, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Levi Randolph (20) struggles with Arkansas Razorback forward Coty Clarke (4) at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Malcolm Miller is in a similar situation to Clarke physically. He comes in at 6’7 but is lighter at 210 pounds. Clearly the Celtics are not satisfied with their backup small forwards and they are making sure they explore all possible options. Miller was not quite as good on the defensive end as Clarke but he managed a defensive rating under 100 in 3 of his 4 seasons. A bigger problem is that Miller appeared to regress as his freshman campaign was his best on the defensive end and his senior campaign was his worst.

There will be a lot going on during the Boston Celtics’ training camp and with very few roles defined a lot of players will be fighting for their spot in the rotation.

The Celtics have a lot of young prospects but all of them may not be ready for the NBA and this is the time when the top players will separate themselves from the rest.

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