After 92 games played the Boston Celtics are still searching for answers in the starting lineup
Even though the Boston Celtics got off to the start they needed for the first time in this series, it feels as though this long saga with the fifth starter is far from over. Amir Johnson had his best game of the playoffs, but that really is not saying anything. Once again, that fifth starter was used scarcely and could not see the floor enough to have an impact.
If fact, it was Johnson’s stretch of five straight points and a block that preceded the unfathomable run that destroyed the game for the Celtics. Other than that, Johnson was once again a non factor, and the Celtics still do not feel comfortable about their starting unit.
Throughout this whole ordeal, people have been calling for the likes of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jonas Jerebko and even Terry Rozier to start. These players have stepped up in the playoffs, and it is easy to see how each of them could improve the starting lineup.
The problem is that taking any of those players away threatens a second unit that has been better than anyone could have expected. The Celtics know how important it is to get an advantage when John Wall is on the bench, and messing around with the second unit to fix the starting unit threatens the runs that were crucial to the first two victories.
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The problem is that things may be bad enough for Stevens to make that change and sacrifice. He can keep rotating between Johnson and Gerald Green, but it has become abundantly clear that these guys are not the answer, and will be causing problems against the Wizards’ first unit.
Right now, Stevens needs to weigh how much the starting unit can be improved against how much worse the second unit will be getting. It may be one of those situations that may not have a solution, in which case he very well could stick with these two that have not worked yet. If there is no actual answer for that fifth starter, then a lot more damage can be done trying to force something to work.
No matter who plays that fifth role, they are not going to be dictating the game with the starters. Stevens feels as though no matter who takes that final spot, the other four players should be able to make that unit work, and prevent the Wizards’ starting unit from consistently getting an advantage.
A big problem is that these are players that have been inconsistent all year long. It is dangerous to base his decision over a couple two good games played by a player who has also played equally as disastrous stretches. Right now, there is no easy answer. No matter who gets that fifth spot will create problems that need to be compensated for.
This is a problem that is not going away for the Celtics and it has clearly hurt them in this series. Stevens has to make sure that he is making the most out of the players he has, both for the starters and the bench players.
Stevens has used a deep rotation, but eliminating Green and Johnson would shorten it. Tightening things up could help with the inconsistencies, but it is still too hard to trust the other players on the bench to carry the load, especially considering these are the youngest and most inconsistent players on the team.
The Celtics have been moving their rotation around all season long because of injuries, but they were able to settle after the Avery Bradley injury. Brown was inserted into the starting lineup and fit in comfortable. Brown may be the most logical choice at this point, but starting a 20 year old rookie in the most important game of the season could be dangerous.
It is also important to note that everyone is clamoring for the Celtics to fix a problem with their bigs with a guard. It makes a lot more sense to replace Bradley with Brown than to replace Johnson with Brown. The Celtics have been succesful with small ball, but the Wizards make it a lot tougher than the Bulls
The reality of the situation is that the Celtics have absolutely no front court depth. If the Celtics take a big from that second unit, there is absolutely nobody else to come and fill that secondary role.
The reason the Celtics have not been able to fix this problem is because they do not have the right pieces to fit in. The second unit has given Stevens options, but clearly none of them have been an easy solution.
It is also more complicated than just small ball versus going big. There are a lot of different matchups that need to be taken into account, and the versatility of Markieff Morris is killing them. It was easy for the Celtics to get away with guards playing in the front court with Nikola Mirotic spending all his time at the three point line. Morris’ ability to play in the paint is too difficult of a matchup for any of these guards, except maybe the 20 year old rookie, which has his own risks and will inevitably have ups and downs.
Next: Pressure is Back on the Boston Celtics
The Celtics now know that the start is not the only problem, but having a rotation that is settled can only help things at any point in the game.