Hopefully Chemistry Won’t Be An Issue For The Boston Celtics
By Alex Eddy
The Boston Celtics made great changes to their team but still have chemistry to worry about
Despite earning the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics will only have six returning pieces from the 2016-2017 roster.
Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier are the only players left from last season. This means that a lot of new faces will be suiting up in green next year.
The biggest splash was made with Gordon Hayward, who will be inserted into the starting lineup immediately. It will be interesting to see how Thomas changes his playing style and adjusts his offensive game with the addition of Hayward.
Hayward is an extremely efficient player who doesn’t need an overload of shot attempts per game, but Thomas will have to surrender some of his offensive potency/dominance in favor of Hayward. Thomas was the focal point of the Celtics’ offense last season and he could be counted on for a crucial bucket. Now, there is another star on the team who can take on that role.
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The Celtics also add Aron Baynes to the club, a center from the Pistons. Honestly, Baynes will need to be a bruiser down low, and needs to man handle the boards. The Celtics need all the help they can get in that department.
The Celtics also bring in a trio of international players, who will all spend some time down low in the paint. Ante Zizic, Guerschon Yabusele, and Daniel Theis will add much needed size to the Celtics’ roster. These players will need to adjust to the tempo of the NBA, and will also need to be able to run the floor.
Then there is a group of players who can play a multitude of positions. This includes rookies Jayson Tatum and Semi Ojeleye, Abdel Nader who played with Maine last season, and Marcus Morris, who was acquired in the Avery Bradley deal.
All these players add versatility on the wing for the Celtics, and fit in the same mold as Crowder and Brown. Brad Stevens has discussed the idea of “positionless” players and lineups, so we will see some of these guys on the floor at the same time.
The big question will be if the Celtics can blend all of these new faces with the old faces to create a chemistry that is fluid and successful. There are a lot of young players on this team, and some of them will be asked to play meaningful minutes right away.
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Additionally, Thomas, Hayward, Horford, and Crowder are probably all locks to start. The 5th starter is somewhat up in the air. The top candidates for the job are probably Smart, Brown, and Morris.