The Celtics will tip off their playoffs on Sunday afternoon, but for this first-round series against the 76ers, fans still don’t know for sure what the rotation is going to look like. The starters: Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta, plus super sixth man Payton Pritchard, all appear to be locked into major roles.
But beyond that, with a coach as unpredictable as Joe Mazzulla, it’s hard to know what to expect. Joe has made a point of not having a consistent rotation all season, claiming that there was no pattern to his substitutions.Â
It helped keep opponents on their toes and unprepared, but it also forced the Celtics’ reserves to truly stay ready. Even the guys in the locker room may not have fully known their roles on a nightly basis, which empowers them to feel like they can actually earn minutes if they prove themselves when their numbers get called.
The result has been one of the deepest teams in the NBA, with Boston getting significant contributions up and down the roster this season, leaving Mazzulla and his staff with some tough decisions, whittling down the rotation for the most important minutes of all.
Boston wings have all made the case to play
The wing rotation has been fun to watch all season, with a new player breaking out every few weeks all season long. Baylor Scheierman was playing the most down the stretch and playing extremely well. He seems most likely to be the first wing in off the bench, but you never know.
Jordan Walsh had some nice minutes down the stretch and notably did a great job guarding Tyrese Maxey earlier in the season. The same can be said of Hugo Gonzalez. He hit a rookie wall and fell out of the rotation late in the season, but maybe part of that was Joe saving him for the postseason.
Even Ron Harper Jr. came in and gave this team some excellent two-way minutes at times, and proved that he belongs. Realistically, Boston isn’t going to play more than one or two of these guys any real minutes, but they should all be ready, because it’s not abundantly clear how this is going to play out.
Garza Vucevic question remains unanswered
Then there’s the battle for backup center minutes behind Queta. Luka Garza established himself for half the season, but was usurped by Nikola Vucevic after the trade deadline. Vooch got hurt, and Garza jumped right back in. But with Vooch back in the fold, he’s been the only big playing off the bench.
But it’s hard to ignore how good Garza looked in those spot minutes, and how rough Vucevic looked at times. Maybe the staff just wanted to get a longer look at Vooch, feeling they already saw enough from Garza.Â
Hopefully, Mazzulla isn’t just automatically giving these minutes to Vucevic due to his pedigree, because it sure looked like Garza was the better player this season. Either way, it’s a mystery to the fans and the opponent, and that’s what makes these decisions so intriguing and important.
At the end of the day, the fact that the Celtics legitimately have 12 guys who have a case to be in the playoff rotation is a testament to this roster and coaching staff. There are going to be some odd men out, but there’s no reason to think they won’t be ready if their names are called. It may seem like a bit of a problem, but it’s a great problem to have.
Add us as a preferred source on Google