Your Ideal Tatum-Brown Lineup

[PhoSita]

Great teams have elite 5 man lineups.  By elite I mean lineups with a net rating in the double digits.  The Celtics don't have one (anymore).

Here's a little game:

Start with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Now fill out the rest of the lineup with some restrictions

- total cost of the other 3 guys has be $45 million or less
- nobody on a rookie contract
- nobody who has made All-NBA or All-Star in the last 3 years


I'm trying to think of the sort of group the Celtics might actually be able to put around Tatum and Brown.  What do you think the ideal sort of setup for them would be? 

The Celtics are probably going to be limited to journeyman starters and role players, given the cap situation.  What's the best they might be able to do?

[Jiri Welsch]

I'm breaking your rule and doing guys on rookie contracts

C - Rob Williams
PF - Lauri Markkanen
SF - Tatum
SG - Brown
PG - Lonzo Ball

My thoughts, more than the names in particular...we need a PG who doesn't require shots in order to be effective, yet who has the ball in their hands a lot and facilitates an effective offense when things get stagnant. Also not a liability on defense. At PF we need a good rebounder, defender, who can space the floor (basically the Kevin Love role). Any players that can fulfill those roles I'm good with.

As for Rob, I think he could be a defensive cog if he continues to improve. I also think if the Celtics are ready to move on from Smart, they can acquire a piece like I mentioned above.

[Chief]

 I build them like the old Bulls team


Marcus Smart = Ron Harper
Brown/Tatum = MJ/Pippen
Draymond = Rodman
Jarrett Allen = Luke Longley

[Roy H.]

Jrue Holiday, Paul Millsap, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Theis

They’re binkies more than anything, but they fit the rules

[PhoSita]

Jrue Holiday, Paul Millsap, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Theis

They’re binkies more than anything, but they fit the rules

That would be a 6 man lineup

[Moranis]

PG - Beverley (13.3 m)
SG - Brown
SF - Tatum
PF - Grant (19 m)
C - Wood (13 m)

Other players in consideration Zubac (7 m), Justin Holiday (5.7 m), Rubio (17 m), Bertans (15 m).  I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but I like Brown at SG and Tatum at SF the best (which is why I didn't go with Holiday). 

[PhoSita]

Here's my stab:

Dejounte Murray (14)
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Larry Nance Jr (12)
Christian Wood (14)


I thought about going Beverley - Ingles - Capela, but I think they need a center who can shoot and pass a little and a point guard who can penetrate.

[Tr1boy]

Just try 1st from within

Timelord
Tatum
Brown
Langford
Pritchard

Bench
Kornet (resign)
Khem Birch (FA signing)
Josh Hart (FA signing)
Kenrich Williams (Trade with OKC)
Aaron Nesmith
Yam Madar
2021 draft pick

Trade Smart, Walker and Thompson for picks.

Romeo Langford would be a nice addition to the starting unit because he is a versatile tough defender. And doesnt look to shoot 1st. Which is a good thing with the other guys who tend to stick around the perimeter.

Pritchard plays hard from the start of the game. Pushes pace. Get Tatum and Brown warmed up quicker

I'm sold on Hart and Kenrich Williams. These guys play Celtics basketball.   

[GreenCoffeeBean]

Is building around two swings even a winning strategy? The Clippers have two better ones in Kawhi and PG and they haven’t won anything yet.

[Roy H.]

Jrue Holiday, Paul Millsap, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Theis

They’re binkies more than anything, but they fit the rules

That would be a 6 man lineup

I had extra money, so I started to fill out the bench. Boogie can’t go 30 minutes anyways.

[Jiri Welsch]

Is building around two swings even a winning strategy? The Clippers have two better ones in Kawhi and PG and they haven’t won anything yet.

I'd like to think there doesn't need to be a previous blueprint we need to point to in order to win it all. Could be wrong though.

[slamtheking]

Dejounte Murray (14.3)
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Thad Young (13.5)
Jonas Valanciunas (15)

alternate to Jonas
Larry Nance Jr (11.7)

[Roy H.]

Also, in a lineup with two star wings who need to touch the ball a lot, I will always think that Mike Conley is the ideal point guard.  Heck, I picked him as my starting point guard in one of the historical drafts.

I don’t know if there is a better combination of shooting, defense, passing, timely scoring and deference out there.

If I’m building a team based upon non-superstar teammates for the Jays, regardless of cost, I’d lean toward:

Horford
Tatum
Hayward
Brown
Conley

None of the additions have made an All-Star game in the last three years, so it meets that criteria.  I think that those guys would play beautiful basketball.  Funny that we had four out of those five guys playing together, although never at full strength.

[nickagneta]

Dejonte Murray
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Larry Nance Jr
Christian Wood

[Sophomore]

Is building around two swings even a winning strategy? The Clippers have two better ones in Kawhi and PG and they haven’t won anything yet.

When they’ve gone head to head, I think it’s hard to argue that KL and PG have outplayed the Js.