Brad, please make Hayward the sixth man

[SparzWizard]

While I don't oppose with the idea, but the Celtics still paid him a max contract...

[knuckleballer]

While I don't oppose with the idea, but the Celtics still paid him a max contract...

He can still play just as many minutes, just coming off the bench so that he spends more time with the 2nd unit.

[jbpats]

I think he should come off the bench as well, but Baynes should start once he is back, not Smart.
That said, Gordon is like a son to Brad, I don't see it happening. Nor do I think we can make this sort of conclusion after 5 games especially when the guy has hardly played basketball in over a year.

He does look lost out there though, just hanging around the baseline, not really moving without the ball and not really getting any passes to shoot.

I also think it's a bad look for a max guy to come off the bench, in theory who cares? We the fans don't, but other potential max guys that want to play here might..

[Surferdad]

You can start Hayward and achieve the same result by subbing him out first, then bring him back with the bench in the 2nd quarter.

[scaryjerry]

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your best player should always start.  Brown should come off the bench with Smart starting

Not a problem considering he's our 4th best player.

[johnnygreen]

Agreed but I think CBS should wait a few more games before making the switch. It'll be easier for Hayward to accept if he feels CBS has given the new starting lineup a fair shot.

I like Hayward off the bench instead of Tatum and Brown because Hayward has the most well-rounded game. Shot-creation, ball-handling, playmaking ability. Hayward is the one best suited to lead a less offensively 2nd unit lineup.

Hayward should be to Boston what Ginobili was to San Antonio.

If that’s what we need, why not Kyrie? Start Rozier and have Kyrie destroy opposing benches with Smart, Mook, and Baynes handling the defense.

If Rozier was truly a starting quality type of player, then he should be destroying the opposing teams second units. The starting unit needs to remain intact, as they need to figure out these chemistry issues now. To me, the starting unit is just suffering from a perfect storm, where everyone can’t seem to find their shot. I think we just need to be patient, as the players on this team are too good to go through this slump for much longer.

[timpiker]

Brad should only tell Hayward 1 thing - be aggressive and don't be afraid to step on anybody's toes.

[apc]

I don't think Hayward has a big share of reason we play so poorly.
His slow start was expected.

To me our bad start has more to do with Brown and Kyrie's slow start.

I will give it more time but if Brown doesn't find his role with the starters i will replace him with Smart- who can contribute without shooting.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Does the slow start mean that Jaylen Brown is more important to this team than people realize?

[celticinorlando]

Prefer Brown to be the 6th man

[Who]

Prefer Brown to be the 6th man

I like Jaylen in the starting unit because I think he would have the most problems scoring in the less offensively capable 2nd unit. Jaylen has always been the 3rd/4th option on the floor. Big difference to being the #1 guy. I am not sure that suits him right now. I think for his best performance and also for his continued development, Jaylen is best off as a 3rd / 4th guy. For that, he needs to stay in the starting lineup.

[Moranis]

Prefer Brown to be the 6th man

I like Jaylen in the starting unit because I think he would have the most problems scoring in the less offensively capable 2nd unit. Jaylen has always been the 3rd/4th option on the floor. Big difference to being the #1 guy. I am not sure that suits him right now. I think for his best performance and also for his continued development, Jaylen is best off as a 3rd / 4th guy. For that, he needs to stay in the starting lineup.

He is the 5th option in the starting lineup and is pretty darn bad off the ball.  In the second unit he would have the ball in his hand a lot more, and as we saw last year, he can be pretty effective when he has the ball more. 

[GreenEnvy]

Agreed but I think CBS should wait a few more games before making the switch. It'll be easier for Hayward to accept if he feels CBS has given the new starting lineup a fair shot.

I like Hayward off the bench instead of Tatum and Brown because Hayward has the most well-rounded game. Shot-creation, ball-handling, playmaking ability. Hayward is the one best suited to lead a less offensively 2nd unit lineup.

Hayward should be to Boston what Ginobili was to San Antonio.

If that’s what we need, why not Kyrie? Start Rozier and have Kyrie destroy opposing benches with Smart, Mook, and Baynes handling the defense.

If Rozier was truly a starting quality type of player, then he should be destroying the opposing teams second units. The starting unit needs to remain intact, as they need to figure out these chemistry issues now. To me, the starting unit is just suffering from a perfect storm, where everyone can’t seem to find their shot. I think we just need to be patient, as the players on this team are too good to go through this slump for much longer.

Firstly, my idea to move Kyrie to the bench was a joke, considering the absurdity of Gordon being relegated to that role (well, at least permanently).

That said, why does Rozier need to be lighting up opposing benches to be worthy of starting? Has he not been effective as a starter in the playoffs this past spring? When Brown is running with the second unit, does he DESTROY second units? I guess he isn’t a true starting quality type player either.

You know how many championship teams have had inferior players to Rozier start for them?

[Bobshot]

I think you've got to take a look at who was on the floor when the Celtics had their slow start the first half in OKC. And who was on the floor when the Celtics finished strongly to win that game.

Maybe I'm wrong, but Hayward started the game, and was not in the lineup at the finish.

Stevens is going to have a hard time with this, but it looks to me Hayward's slowness is affecting their running game at the outset. Slowing down guys like Brown and Tatum. This team needs to run to win, and needs the D, and it doesn't look like Hayward is there yet in his conditioning to be effective. He's at the substitute level right now.

Stevens is having to learn the hard way, but it's looking like he has to tweak that starting lineup. This stuff should have been figured out the pre-season, but there were hardly any minutes that starting 5 played in those few pre-season games.

[Bobshot]

Prefer Brown to be the 6th man

Brown is a defensive guy, not a scorer. He gets a lot of his points on dunks and a few 3s.The 6th man is traditionally an offensive guy. A shooter.