Boston Celtics: 3 rotation side effects of Juan Hernangomez signing

Woah. Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens won’t be stopped now. He seems to be having such a good time.

With Stevens having a ball and the Cs strengthening their ranks with the addition of Juan Hernangomez to a roster that has seen trades left and right this summer, Ime Udoka is going to have to move some puzzle pieces around.

The first-year coach has been blessed with a more talented roster than Stevens had in his final season. Perhaps Stevens didn’t want to be as frustrated as he felt this past spring hastily slotting new players during the season’s stretch run.

COVID-19 was an obvious factor, but the roster was flawed from the jump. Not this year.

Hernangomez’s addition shores up the 4, which was a position that didn’t have natural fits. Udoka would have relied on mostly wings–including a bulked-up Jayson Tatum–to fill the rotation.

That’s a broad view, though. What specific rotation side effects will this move have? Let’s take a look:

The Boston Celtics may have no spot for Grant Williams

As of now, Grant Williams hasn’t been included in one of the many trades Brad Stevens has made to put the Cs in a position to win. Assuming he sticks on the roster, it’s reasonable to think that the additions of both Al Horford and Juan Hernangomez will just about force him out of the rotation entirely.

Of course, a year three leap isn’t impossible if he could raise his 3-point efficiency even higher. He made a 12-percentage point jump. Hernangomez regressed last year from downtown.

Still, Hernangomez has the edge due to a salary more than 2.5x higher than Williams’.