The Boston Celtics must use the coming days and weeks to determine how deep their pool of talent really is.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks on Tuesday identified the Celtics’ inexperienced bench as the biggest question the team faces as training camp ramps up. Boston dramatically reshaped its roster this offseason, with veterans Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris and others departing, and Kemba Walker, Enes Kanter and a host of rookies arriving as replacements. While Walker and Kanter are expected to join Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward in the starting lineup, combinations and rotations in the second unit and beyond remain a mystery to most.
“After a rocky 2018-19, Boston’s forwards — Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward — should have more defined roles, but that clarity comes at the expensive of reliable depth,” Marks wrote. “Behind veterans Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis, the Celtics feature Carsen Edwards, Brad Wanamaker, Romeo Langford, Robert Williams, Grant Williams, Semi Ojeleye and Vincent Poirier. Those seven played a combined 124 NBA games in 2018-19. At least a couple of them need to stick for Boston to have a successful season.”
The Celtics will begin their preseason slate Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. They’ll play just three more preseason games then spend a week practicing ahead of their regular-season opener, which will be Oct. 23 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens and his staff might not set each player’s specific role in the coming weeks, but the time period will go a long way toward determining how the early stages of their 2019-20 seasons, and respective careers, will unfold.
