Boston Celtics: 2 players Cs should thrust into the starting lineup

Boston Celtics player deserving of a start No. 1) Semi Ojeleye

On the season, Semi Ojeleye is showing everyone why Danny Ainge didn’t hesitate to pick up the fourth and final season of his rookie deal with the Boston Celtics. Frankly, at $1.7 million, the 26-year-old is arguably a steal in regard to how he’s been producing.

Through 29 games played, Ojeleye is posing career-high averages of 5.7 points and three boards a game on 42 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent shooting from deep.

Though his per-game stats may not blow anyone away, it is the efficiency he is playing at and the effort he puts forth on a nightly basis that has fans truly impressed with the former second-round pick.

Though only measuring in at 6-6, we believe Brad Stevens should try slotting Ojeleye in at starting power forward full time for a multitude of reasons.

Though he may only be smaller than a traditional power forward, his strength allows him to bang down low with the best of them, while his defensive prowess is an aspect of his game well known amongst Cs fans — who can forget his stellar play on Giannis Antetokounmpo when they last met in the postseason?

Boasting his team’s third-best offensive rating of 118 (both out of players logging 300+ minutes), his two-way efficiency this season could be a fantastic jolt of energy for Boston’s starting five.

With Ojeleye at the four, perhaps Stevens could shove Daniel Theis down to the pivot and run his favored small-ball/ five-out lineup, something he can’t truly execute with Tristan Thompson.

Add in the fact that, during his six games starting this season — most of which were out of necessity, however –, the forward posted solid averages of 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds on 46 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent shooting from deep and you have all the more reason to tweak the lineup once more and roll Semi Ojeleye out as the team’s starting four.