Brad Stevens and co. treated this offseason as a time to re-tool and revamp the roster for the Boston Celtics for the upcoming 2021-22 campaign and, thanks to their high-end activity on the trade market and in free agency, they managed to accomplish their ultimate goal.
Though we did see notable departures from a few key figures from last year’s rotation, based on the players that the Cs managed to acquire throughout the summer, it would appear as though the overall talent of Boston’s roster still managed to improve.
Now, as October 20th’s regular-season tip-off against the New York Knicks rapidly approaches, rookie head coach, Ime Udoka will take this time during training camp and in the preseason to try and set up his preferred schematics for this team in an effort to make the shamrocks as lethal as possible.
A new regime at the helm will certainly bring about several changes to this team, specifically when it comes to individual player roles.
While there are some who could be heading towards a diminished role within the rotation this coming season, we are under the impression that there are 3 players, in particular, that are bound to see increased roles as well:
Boston Celtics player No. 1) Jayson Tatum
To some, it may be a bit shocking to see Jayson Tatum on this list, as he already comes into the 2021-22 season as the unquestioned best and most utilized player on the roster for the Boston Celtics.
That said, based on some of Ime Udoka’s comments from this past summer, the 23-year-old could be in line to have a bigger role within the team’s scheme than what he’s previously endured during his tenure in Beantown.
During one of his first public appearances as the C’s head coach, Udoka stated that the team needs to put more of an emphasis on playmaking and believes that guys like Tatum, what with the fact that he is predominantly in possession of the rock when on the hardwood, should be used as more of an overall offensive initiator rather than just a stupendous scorer:
"“It’s not just scoring the basketball. It’s those guys initiating the offense and being better playmakers. That’s the next step in their evolution.”"
Throughout his four-year career, the wing has showcased an impressive ability to dish the rock, and even averaged a career-high in assists last season with 4.3 a game.
With the fact that the rookie headman is hinting that the budding superstar will become more of a point-forward for this ball club, it’s undeniable that Tatum’s already highly important role for the Celtics is bound to increase this coming year.
Boston Celtics player No. 2) Marcus Smart
For the first time in his seven-year career, Marcus Smart comes into a season being viewed as the top option to run the show for the Boston Celtics.
Gone are the days of Rajon Rondo, Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, and Kemba Walker — the point guard position is now Smart’s to lose and, according to NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg, it would appear as though the 27-year-old is one of four players “locked into starting spots” heading into the year.
With this, it’s evident that the long-time second-option in the backcourt will now be tasked with being the predominant floor general, and many are expecting big things.
Last season, we saw Smart hold this exact position during the C’s first 11 games while Kemba was still sidelined from his offseason knee procedure.
During this time span, the veteran posted sound all-around averages of 12.4 points, six assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 37 percent shooting from deep while helping to guide the Celtics to an 8-3 record along the way.
Now with his role expected to increase, many anticipate a similar stat line, only this time for an entire season rather than for just a handful of outings.
Boston Celtics player No. 3) Aaron Nesmith
Not only do the Boston Celtics want Aaron Nesmith to have a breakout 2021-22 season but, frankly, they need him to if they truly wish to thrust themselves into the legitimate playoff contenders category.
Over the past several years now, though they have had numerous glaring weaknesses within their rotation, perhaps one of their biggest areas of concern has been within their bench unit, particularly in the scoring department.
Last year alone, the C’s bench wound up ranking just 28th in the league in points per game and 23rd in offensive rating.
Now yes, while the acquisition of Dennis Schroder should do wonders for their offensive production off the pine, one man cannot turn around such a tumultuous group on his own, which is why it is believed that at least one more player must rise to the occasions and the Houdini is under the impression that that player should be Nesmith.
Towards the end of last season, the 21-year-old started to showcase the skillset that ultimately made him a lottery selection that previous offseason, as he would post 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on 53.6 percent shooting from the floor and 45 percent shooting from deep while dropping 15 or more points on four separate occasions during the final nine games of the year.
Throughout his rookie campaign, he also managed to show that, when given more minutes within the rotation his overall production only improved, and this trend seemed to slow right along into last month’s Summer League where he served as the focal point of the offense for the shamrocks and, in turn, posted 17.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from deep while also seeing 33-point outing along the way.
Should he continue this upward trajectory into training camp and in the preseason, there’s no reason to believe that last year’s 14th overall selection won’t have a much bigger role for the Boston Celtics in 2021-22.