Interesting:
https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2021/09/07/nba-boston-celtics-start-juancho/
I saw that on Karalis’ podcast the other day. He wasn’t exactly bullish and just was trying to convey that Hernangomez shoots better with extended minutes.
I think we’re best served trotting out our best defensive 5 as the starters and figuring out the rotations afterward. Just my opinion!
If TIMELORD and Smart are your starters you need another scorer at the 4 or the 2 depending on how you go.
I doubt Timelord starts to begin the season. Probably Horford-Tatum-Brown-Richardson-Smart, or Horford-Tatum-Brown-Smart-Schroder
I'd rather see TIMLORD, Hernangomez, Tatum, Brown, Smart.
That lineup is worse on both ends.
I think it fits together better. Schroder definitely should come off the bench. TIMELORD has earned a chance to start.
Why? Schroder is a better passer than most on our team, Horford is a better passer than Timelord (who needs to prove he can stay on the court) and will open up the floor more for the Jays, and Hernangomez is simply mediocre. He should not start ahead of Richardson or Schroder, as he is worse on both ends than both of them, and I think Tatum and Brown are better served by being 4/3 than 3/2
Yeah, I'm hoping we go with:
Horford
Tatum
Brown
Smart
Schroder
I know that it's been implied that Smart is the starting PG, but I'd like to see him and Schroder start together. Richardson makes sense off the bench as the primary guy backing up the 2/3.
I can’t see the Celtics giving Smart and Richardson extensions AFTER signing Schröder without the Celtics trying those two out as the starters first. They’re both being paid like starters and are here next year — have to see if that works before going with Schröder, who’s almost certainly gone next summer.
Richardson is definitely not being paid starter money. His contract is barely above the MLE.
Richardson is making top 5 money on this year's team and next year's team. If he weren't extended, he could be viewed as having been been paid starter money by a former team that's moved on, but as we extended him, it's different.
He's making 20% more than the MLE this year, and MLE players, especially those getting the big MLE, are frequently starters for their team. He's definitely being paid starter money.
Of Schroder, Smart, and Richardson, I am not sure it matters how much they are making. Schroder is only making $6M. These are 3 starter level players where at most only two will start and maybe only 1. Our starters last season were PG, Brown, Tatum, Theis, and Thompson for most of the season. Probably not, but we may start 2 big again or there could be some other combination.
But at a minimum, one of Schroder, Smart, and Richardson will come off the bench and I don't think the coach is going to decide that based on their contracts (at least I sure hope he doesn't).