Boston Celtics: 3 surprise players that could land starting gigs in 2020-21

Surprise player who could land starting gig No. 2) Jeff Teague

Like we said above, these players on this list could either be placed in the starting lineup for the entirety of the season or temporarily due to extended absences of traditional starters.

With the expectation being that Walker will miss at least the first month of the regular season due to his nagging knee issues, coach Stevens will indefinitely need to find the point guard’s replacement in the starting five.

While many are under the impression that Marcus Smart will serve as that fill in, should the Boston Celtics wish to go with more of a traditional floor general at the one, Jeff Teague would certainly be the way to go.

One of our favorite signings from this offseason, the veteran guard brings both experience and playmaking skills that was severely lacking from this Cs squad outside of their core group of ballers.

Last season, the 32-year-old saw himself serving as a savvy veteran for both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Atlanta Hawks. Through 59 games played, the former All-Star averaged 10.9 points, 5.2 assists, and just shy of a steal per game on 46 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from deep.

When you have a starting rotation consisting of scoring studs like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, having a sound facilitator could prove to be highly effective, as it would make giving these guys better looks at a bucket that much easier.

Still proving to be a highly-productive passer, in 17 starts last year Teague posted 7.5 assists a game — better than anyone on the Celtics from last season. To go along with this, he also notched in 12.5 points while shooting 38 percent from downtown.

A few days ago, we deemed the 12-year-veteran as one of the main beneficiaries of Walker’s absence to start to season, citing it would lead to more playing time.

Perhaps this increase in minutes could also coincide with an insertion into the team’s starting lineup which, in our eyes, is not the worst way to go about their All-Star’s hiatus.