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Boston’s Rotation Remains a Mystery

By Joshua Bateman

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It is still early on in camp but there has been very little to clarify what the Boston Celtics‘ rotation may look like. Even if there have been no decisions, Brad Stevens has said “We have to find the right combinations for our team, I think that’s the number one thing”.

Taylor C Snow addresses other comments made by Stevens on NBA.com and he made it clear that a player’s ability to fit is going to be a priority. Fortunately, the Celtics have put themselves into an ideal position to figure out which players fit the best. More so for the guard and power forward position, the Celtics incredible depth and versatility in their options.

The Celtics have defensive guards in Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley and they have offensive guards in Isaiah Thomas and R.J Hunter. They have a defensive minded power forward in Jordan Mickey and they have many offensive minded power forwards. Of those offensive minded power forwards, they have the ones that stretch the floor in Jared Sullinger and Jonas Jerebko, they have a mid range specialist in David Lee and they have a dominant finisher at the rim in Amir Johnson.

Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) reacts after making a basket during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

There is no doubting that the Celtics have options and the goal of this camp is going to be figuring out which players fit best into the system. Fitting strictly into the system is not the only issue and Stevens loves to play many different lineups. Stevens will want to figure out which players are better fit to be playing alongside each other.

Last season made it clear that just because you are a part of the starting lineup, that does not guarantee that they will be getting the most minutes. Tyler Zeller saw Kelly Olynyk finish with more minutes per game and Thomas was one of the team leaders in minutes per game coming off the bench.

The Celtics may finally have playoff expectations but they are still in the middle of a rebuild. This training camp alone may not be enough for Stevens to figure out who should have the most prominent roles and they will leave the team with an incredible distribution of minutes, especially for the guards and forwards.

Stevens is also going to have to figure out what he wants to do with the small forward depth. Jae Crowder should have a firm hold on the starting position. However, the depth behind him is a complete mystery. The team has the likes of Jerebko, Perry Jones, David Lee and Evan Turner who all have experience at that position. The problem is that none of them are entirely comfortable in that position. the newly added Coty Clarke is a natural small forward but he is a long shot to make the roster.

The Celtics have tough decisions regarding who will be a part of the roster and they will have tough decisions regarding who will be a part of the rotation and that is exactly what they need at this point in the rebuild. The good news is that the Celtics have options and by the time that they are ready to contend, they will have a much more defined rotation.

The Celtics are also filled with young and undeveloped players. The team has a great deal of players that are yet to reach their potential. This training camp and then into this season will be all about discovering what these young players can become.

The Celtics are also dealing with a collection of new additions on the team. Johnson, Lee, Hunter, Rozier, Mickey and Jones may all have a role on this team but Stevens has next to no experience with any of them. These players may be at a disadvantage having no experience with Stevens but they must all be considered for the rotation.

Sep 25, 2015; Waltham, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard R.J. Hunter (28) during media day at the Boston Celtic Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Figuring out a rotation is the goal of the camp but it is something that could easily spill over into the regular season. A lot of players will need the camp simply to get comfortable in new systems and they may not be comfortable enough before the regular season starts.

After the success Stevens had least season there is good reason to be optimistic that he will find the best possible rotation. Stevens had absolutely no stability before the all star break last season and he still managed to establish great chemistry once they settled in. The Celtics may still be in the market for a superstar trade but it will be nothing like last season.

The Celtics are in a unique position where they have an opportunity to make the postseason while rebuilding and all that points to is an incredibly bright future for the team. Stevens has done nothing to deserve any kind of doubt and even if the rotation is a mess right now, Stevens will find one that will have success when the regular season begins.

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