The Boston Celtics have a 9.5-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference with 17 games left to go. It would take a monumental collapse for the Celtics to fall into second or third place in the East.
If they felt the need to and thought it wouldn’t mess up their continuity, the Celtics could use this time to experiment more with lineups or players.
One player who deserves more playing time down the final stretch of the season is Oshae Brissett.
The Celtics bench, led by Al Horford, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard, has been effective all season. Horford can spread the floor and guard big bodies inside. Hauser comes in as a 42% three-point shooter who also plays solid defense on opposing wings. Then, last but not least, you have Pritchard, who can be a good primary ball handler who hustles at all times while also being a three-point threat.
That makes up an eight man rotation that the Celtics will likely use for the playoffs, while still sprinkling in some Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman minutes, depending on matchups. This gives the Celtics an extra ball handler, a lot of big man diversity, and a three and D wing. But you can never have too many wings.
Enter Oshae Brissett.
Oshae Brissett getting a shot is win-win for Boston Celtics
Brissett averages 11 minutes per game, putting up 3.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. These numbers aren’t special, but Brissett brings value that doesn't necessarily show up on the stat sheet. It seems he is always hustling for offensive rebounds and being a nuisance on defense.
The last three games that Brissett has checked into have been blowout wins against the Golden State Warriors (19 minutes), the Portland Trail Blazers (19 minutes), and the Utah Jazz (17 minutes). In those games with an increase in minutes, he only shot the ball 10 times.
From 2020 to 2023 with the Indiana Pacers, Brissett averaged 10.9, 9.1, and 6.1 points per game. The number decreasing by year aligns with his minutes decreasing each season, but regardless, he has shown himself to be a capable scorer for the role he plays on teams.
Again, the Celtics don’t have much to lose at this point of the year and should put Brissett in higher pressure situations. It could give them another option to close out quarters in the playoffs while also giving players like Jayson Tatum, higher-pressure Holiday, and even Sam Hasuer some extra rest down the season's final stretch.
If things don’t work with Brissett during these last 17 games, it’s not likely to have much of a negative impact on the team due to how well the Celtics have performed all year. A true win-win situation. Brissett’s athleticism and hustle should not be overlooked, and he definitely deserves a chance to show off as the regular season comes to an end.