Boston Celtics: 3 rotation trends after first two preseason games

Josh Richardson has yet to stand out, could be a low-minute reserve for Cs

It was not a crazy thought coming into this season that Josh Richardson could be a member of the starting five for the Boston Celtics.

He showed in his years with the Miami Heat that he had legitimate scoring potential and then proved to be an efficient background glue guy the past two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks.

As a switchable swingman in a lineup that also featured Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum, Richardson had potential to play a big role in the C’s return to normalcy season at the TD Garden in 2021-22.

Instead, the extension given to Richardson by new President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens is looking more like a strategic cap move than any long-term investment for the former second round pick.

Romeo Langford is outplaying him and Aaron Nesmith could wind up doing the same as he continues to grow in the Cs organization. At this point, it’s difficult to see Stevens parting with two guys he personally coached that are improving over a mid-sized deal for a guy that is not fitting in exactly as planned.