The Celtics Found Their Starting Lineup Last Night

[PhoSita]

IT - Smart - Crowder - Sullinger - Amir


I think that's probably the best 5 man unit the team can put out there.  The best players on the team were all on the floor together and shocker!  They actually looked pretty decent.

They hung tough with the Hawks starters and didn't look totally overmatched (just relatively overmatched).

Compared to what we've seen before, that's obviously a major development.

Smart, Crowder, and Amir are really nice defensive role players, but they need the two best offensive players on the team -- IT and Sully -- out there with them to provide balance.


Using that lineup turns the bench into a little bit of a mess, and forces Bradley out of his starting role, but I don't much care.  The biggest thing is identifying the best lineup to put out there and actually compete with the best players on the other team.  I think the Celts may have found that lineup.

[hwangjini_1]

i agree that may be the best starting lineup for the celtics. but i also worry, as i have in the past, that having thomas play 34 minutes, or there abouts, each game is a recipe for injury. he is small and his style of play requires him to take a pounding as he drives to the basket and has to defend larger, stronger players.

over the long haul, i still prefer thomas with fewer minutes to ensure durability. but yes, as a group on the court, these five are pretty good.

[Hemingway]

you are probably right. Maybe try starting AB over IT but subbing IT in for AB or Smart after only a few minutes? Like before the TV timeout? I hate to take away AB's starting spot.

[Hemingway]

i agree that may be the best starting lineup for the celtics. but i also worry, as i have in the past, that having thomas play 34 minutes, or there abouts, each game is a recipe for injury. he is small and his style of play requires him to take a pounding as he drives to the basket and has to defend larger, stronger players.

over the long haul, i still prefer thomas with fewer minutes to ensure durability. but yes, as a group on the court, these five are pretty good.

Maybe we have found our ending 5

[PhoSita]

Maybe we have found our ending 5

Perhaps, but it doesn't seem like Brad believes in a set "ending 5."  He plays whoever has it going / has a good matchup.

The biggest thing for me is putting a unit out there that won't get down by 8-10 points before the end of the 1st quarter ... even against the Sixers and Nets.

Just because a guy starts doesn't mean he has to play 32+ minutes a night, by the way.

[nickagneta]

I don't know if that group has to start, but they do need to play major minutes as a unit together.

[HomerSapien]

I don't love IT in the starting lineup. I feel like he really struggles defensively and also doesn't get the ball moving for a good offensive flow like it needs to. Problem is, that Bradley-Smart-Crowder combo that started the year is too offensively inept.

Even though I think Crowder is one of our 3 - 4 best players, I'd like to see Brad go to a starting lineup of Bradley-Smart-Turner-Sullinger-Johnson with IT and Crowder being heavy minute subs.

I think that'd give a good offense / defense balance across the whole game.

[PhoSita]

I don't know if that group has to start, but they do need to play major minutes as a unit together.

I agree.  At a minimum, we need to use this year getting that unit a lot of minutes together.  Establish some stability and continuity.

[fairweatherfan]

I think IT goes back to the bench when Bradley comes back, but otherwise this'll probably be it for a while. 

Amir seemed to get into the flow a lot better with the extra minutes he was given - looks like Stevens is getting closer to mainly playing Amir/Sully/Olynyk with lower minutes for Lee and Zeller.  Of course that'll probably change if they start playing better/worse.

[Evantime34]

I think the Celtics found their closing lineup, the lineup that should be on the floor to end close games.

Once Smart and Bradley are 100% I still prefer them as starters. I like to get Thomas going by starting him against bench players so he gets in a groove.

IT was good last night but the real difference was that Amir played his best game of the year and Sullinger continued to give us the offense he has been this season.

[PhoSita]

IT was good last night but the real difference was that Amir played his best game of the year and Sullinger continued to give us the offense he has been this season.

You can't separate these things, though.  Having our most dangerous scorer on the floor opens up holes in the defense for the other guys to attack, and that helps get them going.

[PhoSita]

I think IT goes back to the bench when Bradley comes back, but otherwise this'll probably be it for a while. 

I just think the starting lineup becomes a LOT less creative and reactive when Bradley is in there as opposed to IT.  It's a pretty major downgrade.  Bradley isn't a bad player, but the starting lineup needs a creative, penetrating ball-handler who can find his own shot and find others.

Ideally, Smart would be that, but he's not there yet.  And he's not really close.  I'm disappointed about that, but it is what it is.  Smart needs more time.

So if it's not IT, I think it needs to be Turner.  Either way, I don't think Smart-Bradley-Crowder is a good trio to put on the floor at the start of games, despite their aggressive defense.

[hwangjini_1]

I don't know if that group has to start, but they do need to play major minutes as a unit together.

I agree.  At a minimum, we need to use this year getting that unit a lot of minutes together.  Establish some stability and continuity.

but less than 32+ minutes, right? 

[CsBanner18]

IT - Smart - Crowder - Sullinger - Amir


I think that's probably the best 5 man unit the team can put out there.  The best players on the team were all on the floor together and shocker!  They actually looked pretty decent.

They hung tough with the Hawks starters and didn't look totally overmatched (just relatively overmatched).

Compared to what we've seen before, that's obviously a major development.

Smart, Crowder, and Amir are really nice defensive role players, but they need the two best offensive players on the team -- IT and Sully -- out there with them to provide balance.


Using that lineup turns the bench into a little bit of a mess, and forces Bradley out of his starting role, but I don't much care.  The biggest thing is identifying the best lineup to put out there and actually compete with the best players on the other team.  I think the Celts may have found that lineup.

I've been saying this for a while. IT4 should replace Bradley in the starting line up.

Anyone who watches Celtics games knows that Bradley scores the majority of his points shooting behind screens and cutting to the basket. AB can come off the bench and do that efficiently.

The way I see it IT4, Turner, & Rozier are our primary ball handlers.

Smart is our shooting guard that can bring up the ball when needed and help move the ball from side to side.

If we keep Terry Rozier, he can develop into our back up PG/ 6th man. The only way IT4 would get benched again is if Rozier (or some other PG we sign or trade for) is so good that we must start him over Isaiah.

[Hemingway]

maybe move Smart to the 6th man until we make a trade? Also, IT isn't as bad on D as people make it seem. I watch for it every game. I'm shocked teams dont pick and get a big on him an post up every play, bu it happes almost never.