The Boston Celtics were strong in many aspects last season, but their bench, and specifically bench scoring, wasn’t one of them.
It was somewhat due to the fact Boston consistently was battling injuries — Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward, etc. — which both hurt their depth, and ensured somebody like Marcus Smart (40 starts in 60 games) would be in the starting rotation.
Could the Celtics find themselves in a similar situation in 2020-21?
Well, Boston made a pair of improvements replacing bench pieces Brad Wanamaker and Enes Kanter with newly-signed veterans Jeff Teague and Tristian Thompson. It wouldn’t be a major shock to see both enter the starting lineup, though, especially in the first few weeks with Walker sidelined as he recovers from a knee injury. If that’s the case, Thompson would take over the starting center position for Daniel Theis, who would then become one of the first players off the bench.
Walker’s return would then ensure Teague comes off the bench, but let’s not forget that Boston did watch Gordon Hayward (52 games, 52 starts) leave in free agency. Boston will have to replace Hayward’s 34 minutes and 17 points per game.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is hopeful the team will be able to do so with its young talent.
“The injuries are part of it. We’ve talked many times here over the last few years, you just anticipate experiencing that. You’re hopeful that you can start a season in training camp fully healthy, but we’re not,” Stevens told reporters Tuesday. “So, we’ll manage accordingly, try to get everybody up to speed. But, you know, I think we got a lot of good young players that can complement some of our better players.
“I don’t think you know any of that until you really get out (and play),” Stevens added. “… But early on in the year, yeah we’re going to find out a lot and guys will get opportunities that they’ll have worked hard for, that they’ll have earned through the first few weeks of the season, and that are more available because we’ve got some guys missing.”
Chief among those potential contributors are Robert Williams, Grant Williams, recent first-rounders Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard, as well as others who were at the end of the bench last season like Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters. Second-year wing Romeo Langford, who averaged 11 minutes in 32 games as a rookie, is working his way back from a wrist injury, and upon doing so could be one of the team’s first players off the bench, too.
It’s a group that Celtics’ president of basketball operations Danny Ainge wants to give a chance, rather than doing anything drastic with money received from Hayward’s trade exception.
“You may be right, but I would like to see what we have,” Ainge responded when asked about potential veteran free agents that could help. “I’d like to give guys an opportunity first before we make a judgement that we don’t have enough scoring off the bench. We have a couple guys that didn’t have a chance to play much last year, and I think can provide us a scoring punch. So, time will tell.”
