Which 3 Players Start next to Brown and White, Opening Night, 2025?

[Gant]

The 70s Celtics were the shortest team in the league. They also managed to lead the league in rebounding. An odd combination.

But this team is not that one. Tommy's 70s guys had Paul Silas at power forward, who was statistically way more than twice the rebounder that Hauser is, while Dave Cowens was a far better rebounder than any current center on the roster.

For this reason I suspect Hauser at pf will be situational.

There might not even be a real set of five starters this year. It could change regularly. Boucher will get some starts.

[Curmudgeon]

The real issue is who will be on the floor at the end of a close game.

[Deivork]

Okay, Celtics practice has the green playing against the grey.
The five wearing green are JB, D White, PP, Sam, Queta

could that be the starting group?

Read on Twitter

that makes sense because they're all team veterans.

[bucknersrevenge]

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Start the Simons for 6MOY campaign now

If crust and continuity ( especially on the defensive end) are the most important things to Joe, this group makes the most sense. What I dislike about starting games with this group is the size they give up in the frontcourt. I thought Sam was good defensively last year, but he was good while guarding backup 3's for 20 min a night. Throwing him into the starting lineup against starter (and sometimes All-Star level) 3s and 4s seems like a recipe for disaster. Then you negate the size and agility advantages that Jaylen brings as a defender by making him guard up agsinst some potentially 3-4 inches bigger than he is. I hate that. All to get Sam's spacing on the floor where he might hit maybe 2 more 3's a game? I don't see us running a lot of the Killer whale iso stuff and asking JB to just be Tatum. Maybe in stretches but I don't see that as a good way to start games. Maybe in clutch times at the end of games that might be a good lineup for 3-4 minutes. I wanna be more dynamic to start games. More athletic. Be a team that punches early.

Hauser and JB have both shown the ability during their careers to defend 1-4. Hauser struggles sometimes with really quick, shifty 1's but that's the case for most defenders.

During his career so far with the C's, Hauser has actually played quite a bit at the 4. He's toggled between the 3 and the 4. When he's been out there in the past with Tatum, they have basically been interchangeable at the 3 and the 4. Offensively, Tatum is the 3 since he handles the ball way more than Hauser and Hauser offensively has really just operated as a stretch 4 - unless he's been out there with a double big lineup but I feel like in the past when we have gone double bigs it's mostly been with Tatum at the 3 and not Hauser..so Hauser has been essentially a 4 most of the time.

And defensively, when we've had Tatum and Hauser on the floor together I feel like generally, we put Tatum on the quicker offensive player since he's quicker so that's usually the 3, meaning Hauser is usually guarding 4's..or we just put Hauser on whichever player is less of an offensive threat to put our better defender (Tatum) on the opposing team's better offensive 3/4..which we can pretty much do the same thing this season with Hauser and Brown.

And Brown has played plenty of 3 throughout his career. He's toggled between the 2 and the 3..both of those positions are pretty much interchangeable anyways.

For the past couple of years, our go to lineup was KP/JT/JB/white/Jrue so JB was at the 3..he's played mostly the 3 (with Tatum at the 4) in recent years so that we can keep 2 of white/pritchard/jrue on the floor at all times. JB may have a little bit less of a size advantage playing the 3 but he usually has a quickness advantage if he's matched up with a bigger player.

Everything is a trade off. If you have a smaller lineup out there, sure you might think it's too small, maybe less rebounding. But on the plus side we're faster and probably have more ball handling and shooting on the floor with a smaller lineup.

And all the press coming from training camp has been that this team is gonna play faster this season - which means smaller lineups.

I've mentioned this before but the traditional PF position doesn't really exist anymore. it's mainly just like 2 or 3 teams (MIL, CLE..sometimes OKC) who play double big lineups and then the rest pretty much have a wing (like Tatum, KD, Josh Hart, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, PJ Washington, Kawhi, Paul George, Jerami Grant, Jalen Williams, etc.) at the 4. The trend in recent years has been more teams playing a smaller guy at the 4. In the modern era, someone like Hauser, JB or Tatum at the 4 is generally fine imo.

Lastly, not sure who you would rather see at the 4? If it's Boucher, he's an older guy on a minimum contract, has only averaged 14 and 17 MPG last couple years, he's likely not a long term piece here. May get flipped before the deadline so I don't really see him starting. Minott and Walsh can play the 4 but they're kind of undersized at the 4..we wouldn't really have much more size on the floor with 1 of them instead of Hauser so mine as well play the better player. Especially since Queta is a non-shooter so putting Walsh or Minott on the floor (both very suspect shooters) is not ideal.

Tatum on the floor covers for a variety of weaknesses. And JT often came in to play with Hauser against bench lineups which was what I was inferring. Hauser for 20 minutes against bench forwards, I'm good with. Hauser against starting caliber (and in some cases All-Star level) forwards I have a big issue with. He will often lack either the size or the agility to matchup. Puts him in a position to be hunted and potentially negates JBs advantage which I think is considerable when he guards down and less when he's asked to guard up.

As for Boucher and his time on the floor, it's not like Jauser has been some minutes monster over him. Both have been bench guys. Let's be clear: Hauser was last year's 8th man and somehow he's been granted this pass-through status that I don't get. Boucher's bench resume FWIW has been far more impactful over the course of his career. Boucher provides more length, agility, and athleticism on defense to play a free safety type role. He CAN hit shots on offense and finish at the rim. He's simply a more dynamic player than Sam, no offense to him. As for contract, I reject out of hand that contract should play ANY role in determining what's needed to win. Joe certainly doesn't coach like that. For all we know Boucher plays himself into being a keeper and Sam, on a good deal, gets moved later for a center/big upgrade. At the beginning of the last postseason, there were serious questions about whether or not Sam could be counted on. If he ends up starting, so be it. I don't dislike Sam at all. But I do think Boucher allows you to be more flexible at both ends.

[BostoNZ]

Pritchard, Queta pretty easy choices for me. 5th that it's tough - but I think Walsh gets first go, from a lineup fit perspective he makes the most theoretical sense

[Joshyjess]

Funny thing, Joe actually called me the other night and asked me the same question. I told him that I'm thinking it should be PP, Queta and Hauser, but that was just my opinion. I finally told him, that I'll just leave it up to him, though. I trust him, so he has my blessing to choose who he wants.

[hickfromfrenchlick]

I said Simons, Boucher, Queta. PP getting big minutes off the bench.

[Celts17Pride]

For the record,

I think I would love Pritchard, White, Brown, Minott and Queta starting with Simons, Hauser, Boucher and Garza off the bench. Others will have to earn their minutes.

[Shak_Celts]

Joe is so childish. Mr. Petty LaBelle! I love it.

[Parliament10]

For the record,

I think I would love Pritchard, White, Brown, Minott and Queta starting with Simons, Hauser, Boucher and Garza off the bench. Others will have to earn their minutes.

I add Hugo, as the next Player off the Bench.

[Parliament10]

We got Problems at Center.
Queta & Garza should be 2nd Unit Centers.

[Riverwalk2021]

START: White, Brown, Hauser, Minott, Boucher.
ROTATION: PP, Simmons, Garza, Queta, Hugo.
CUT/KEEP GLUED TO THE BENCH: Everybody else.

I expect Brad to trade for a starting caliber big at some point this season with Tatum coming back. You add a 80-85% Tatum and good big to the rotation, we are more than capable of getting out the East.

[Riverwalk2021]

We got Problems at Center.
Queta & Garza should be 2nd Unit Centers.

This is true. They can be effective in certain circumstances but don't seem capable of producing consistently as a starter.

[ThePigeon]

Based on 2 pre season games - Minott, Boucher, Hauser
My guess - PP, Queta, Hauser
What I think it should be - Boucher, Queta, Simons

[Ed Pinkney]

Another question is which players not named Jaylen Brown or Derrick White plays over 30 minutes a game this season? Because I honestly have no idea.

[ThePigeon]

Another question is which players not named Jaylen Brown or Derrick White plays over 30 minutes a game this season? Because I honestly have no idea.

PP and Simons
Maybe Boucher until JT returns

[ThePigeon]

The question is who will have more 40 points games?
JB
PP
Simons

My bet - PP

[Parliament10]

The question is who will have more 40 points games?
JB
PP
Simons

My bet - PP

I think that you have to throw White in that mix, too.

[sam_I_am]

Boucher is a great replacement for Porzingas. He stretches the floor, he produces and he will likely be available for the playoffs if they get there.

[Fencer reregistered]

Another question is which players not named Jaylen Brown or Derrick White plays over 30 minutes a game this season? Because I honestly have no idea.

No one except possibly Pritchard. Joe will enforce high-energy play as best he can, and that will include not letting guys have a tiredness excuse.