If you’re an insatiable client of NBA podcasts and evaluation, one of many by way of traces over the previous calendar 12 months has been the utter dominance of final 12 months’s beginning lineup for the Boston Celtics. It doesn’t matter which analyst you flip to – each one in all them acknowledges how otherworldly that lineup is and was. I’m speaking in regards to the vaunted beginning fivesome of Marcus Sensible, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Robert Williams.
Based on NBA.com, they performed a complete 443 minutes collectively final season and have been a +218 on the 12 months. The subsequent most used lineup? Sub Grant Williams for Horford. That lineup was used for less than 109 minutes of recreation motion. Ime Udoka knew what labored and he caught with it.
This season, issues are completely different. With Joe Mazzulla on the helm, the main target (particularly with Rob sidelined) has been on the offensive facet of the ball. For all of its defensive prowess, when it was their flip to attain the ball, that beginning 5 may really feel a tad clunky at occasions. And boy, was Celtics Nation enthusiastic about this offense to begin the 12 months. After final 12 months’s NBA Finals the place the Warriors uncovered all the Celtics’ offensive flaws, it appeared just like the group had made a cope with the satan to by no means expertise such droughts once more. Drive, kick, swing, swing, drive, kick, 3 ball, rinse, repeat. The group appeared unstoppable, however the protection suffered.
Nevertheless, the group is trending in the precise route on the defensive finish, up now to seventh total in defensive ranking and third total over the past 10 video games, however it doesn’t really feel the identical. Why may that be? Possibly the reply lies within the infrequency of the NBA’s greatest 5-man unit.
Since Rob’s return, you’d have anticipated to see a good quantity of Sensible, Jaylen, Tatum, Al, and Rob, proper? Nicely, it has solely seen the court docket for eleven whole minutes over 4 video games (although Rob has performed in seven in his return). The pattern measurement is small, however it’s a internet zero should you’re questioning.
Possibly this is so simple as the Celtics eager to experiment with rotations and lineups with their shiny new toys. As an illustration, probably the most used Rob lineup options Malcolm Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Grant Williams, and Rob (5 video games, 17 minutes whole, +1). The second: White, Brogdon, Tatum, Grant, Rob (3 video games, quarter-hour, +5). I actually just like the promise of that lineup. The third: Brogdon, Tatum, Hauser, Grant, Rob (3 video games, 14 minutes, -5).
So, it appears Coach Joe likes the thought of Brogdon, Grant, and Rob on the court docket collectively, and may be making an attempt to cowl up for Hauser’s common protection with Rob on the again line. To not point out the offensive upside of utilizing Rob’s vertical spacing and gravity to work in symbiosis with 4 knock down shooters. All of this is sensible. The common season is the time to experiment and see what works and Coach Joe is looking for that steadiness between offense and protection.
So the query is: when will we see that 5-man unit on a extra constant foundation? It doesn’t should be the beginning 5, however if you need that lineup within the recreation night-to-night, it in all probability is sensible to begin video games that approach to make sure it occurs. That’s the simplest answer. However as CelticsBlog Keith Smith stated final night time in our Slack, “who begins video games is probably the most overblown subject” in basketball discourse, however he too “desires to see extra of that group.” Host Will Weir added, “I wish to see extra of the beginning 5 lineup from final 12 months. Even when it’s not because the starters…this could have been a great recreation for it.”
So long as the Celtics protection retains trending in the precise route, Mazzulla may proceed to seek for different mixtures that work. It’s fairly doable that Mazzulla hasn’t relied on that lineup as a result of inevitably, he is aware of that he can. However that is undoubtedly one thing to look at over the following few weeks.
Tune into the most recent episode of Inexperienced With Envy for extra dialog on Celtics/Nuggets, contenders and pretenders across the league, and our weekly vibe test!