Boston Celtics: Recent 6x All-Star signing not expected to start for Cs
The Boston Celtics looked better than perfect in their preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets on October 2. With Derrick White sliding into a starting role, the Cs were able to eviscerate a versatile Charlotte lineup in a shocking fashion.
White was intended to be a second unit stud alongside Malcolm Brogdon in the league’s best bench backcourt, but he proved to be a steady hand who pitched in a workmanlike 7/4/4 stat-line on 50% shooting.
Robert Williams’ absence for the first 8-12 weeks of the 2022-23 season is set to force interim head coach Joe Mazzulla to get creative for the first few months of his impromptu promotion from October to January. Figuring out this opening stretch could ultimately define Boston’s season as either a top contender or a team without home-field advantage in the first or second round of the Eastern Conference postseason.
CBS Sports writer Jack Maloney broke down the several different starting lineup scenarios we could see this season, and none of them involved the team’s recent 6x All-Star signing, Blake Griffin:
"-Replace Williams with Luke Kornet as a stretch five-Replace Williams with Grant Williams and move Al Horford to the five-Replace Williams with Derrick White or Malcolm Brogdon and go small with Tatum at the four and Horford at the five"
Blake Griffin could be out of Boston Celtics by the time Robert Williams returns
The Blake Griffin signing was recently made official and he has reported to Boston Celtics training camp for the first time. His preseason debut could come October 5 against the Toronto Raptors at home.
Should he see his first minutes, it’ll likely come in a bench role. By the time the season-opener against the Philadelphia 76ers rolls around on October 18, Luke Kornet could be back and Griffin could play very limited minutes.
Once Robert Williams returns, Griffin could find himself out of the rotation altogether if he hasn’t established a definitive role in Boston — something that seems somewhat likely considering his diminishing returns on the Brooklyn Nets as his two-year stint progressed from 2020-2022.