English
Español
As we breathlessly await the next trickle of information about Jayson Tatum’s eventual return to the court, it makes sense to discuss something that I’m sure the coaching staff has been thinking about for a long time. Who starts when Tatum returns? And what are the trickle down impacts of the rest of the rotation? (and yes, we are totally milking this Tatum news cycle content for all it is worth)
First of all, let’s assume this is after whatever reintegration time the team takes to ramp him up. They might bring him off the bench or give him a minutes restriction at first. But once he’s through the training camp phase, I assume he’ll be back in the starting lineup.
We can also assume that Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will join him in the starting lineup. So that leaves 2 other spots. Let’s look at some of the candidates.
Neemias Queta – He’s started all season long and has been the team’s best center. He’s earned the right ot keep starting. However,…
Nikola Vucevic – …the Celtics traded Anfernee Simons for Vuc for a reason. Thus far he’s been coming off the bench behind Queta, and that makes a great deal of sense. However, it will be interesting to see how well Vuc fits next to Tatum.
Payton Pritchard – Seems unlikely they would transition him back to a 6th man role if that wasn’t going to be his final destination once Tatum returns. But on the other hand, he might be the 3rd best performing player this season (or 2nd??).
Sam Hauser – Of the remaining players, he has the most starts this season (27) and has plenty of history playing with Tatum. He obviously stretches the floor and has evolved his game even more this year.
Jordan Walsh – He’s been up and down this season, but has established himself as a valuable role player. One that doesn’t need the ball to make an impact on the game.
Baylor Scheierman – Back in Summer League, it wasn’t exactly clear if he had a long term future in Boston. Fast forward to today and he’s firmly in the rotation and a big part of the team’s depth and identity. He’s started 12 games and gives the game good effort and surprising defense.
Hugo Gonzalez – No one is surprised by his defense and he’s been creative and poised in his role. Another player that doesn’t need the ball to add value. Of course, he’s still a rookie on a deep squad.
So make the call. Which two players would you start next to Tatum, Brown, and White?