Who would be in your Celtics 2023-24 Starting Lineup?

[hugepatsfan]

If Cs don’t want to use Kornet but still want to begin games with double bigs:

Horford:
1Q: 1200 to 0700 (5 mins)
1Q: 0200 to 0000 (2 mins)
2Q: 1200 to 0600 (6 mins)
Repeat in 2nd half for a total 26 minutes per game.

Porzingis:
1Q: 1200 to 0200 (10 mins)
2Q: 0600 to 0000 (6 mins)
Repeat in 2nd half for a total of 32 mpg.

Horford and Porzingis play together 10 mpg.

Kornet: 0 minutes

It’s doable.

Spoiler:

If it’s up to me, I’d be banished from the fandom cos I would go in a totally different and radical direction. I’d put in our best defensive lineup to start halves.

Great breakdown. A couple small nitpicks from me though for why I don’t want to do this:

1) Minutes are actually a little high. I want Horford at 24 and KP at 30. Can work with that here, but does make it a little more challenging.

2) I hate being locked into this so rigidly. If you only have 6-10 minutes to play them together, you’re using them all up to start the game. What if that’s not the lineup you want to play it against? You don’t have the flexibility to use that pairing in optimal matchups if you just commit to it to start the halves and that’s it.

I’m not married to it. It doesn’t have to be that rigid. You can start 4 mins together. Pair them again when necessary. Kornet (or whichever big) won’t lose you the game playing them 4 mins here and there. Just demonstrating that it’s doable if they really prefer double bigs to start games. Some games against weaker teams, you play them less.

If fans don’t really want Kornet, they should be more concerned about injury to either KP/Al and games where they actually rest. Not whether they start together or not.

It’s not so much that I don’t want Kornet. I’m fine with him playing the role you describe. I just start by building a rotation around what I’d want if everyone is healthy for 82 games then adjust from there.

For Al/KP, I don’t want more than 24/30 minutes respectively. In fairytale lala land where they each played all 82, I’d line that up so none of our other centers
are in the rotation. But in reality, when they sit, I’d try not to extend the other’s minutes and just let Kornet/others fill the minutes.

[Hal14]

Do people understand starting Horford over White means more minutes for Kornet ?

It’s absolutely stupid that we’re having this discussion.

Starting Horford for 5 mins then inserting White is not going to lose us games.
How many teams are we going to have bring in Kornet for Horford against?
Our team is huge and skilled at every position with 3 point shooting everywhere.
Going small with Zinger as the 'big' will be fine in 99% of cases.

So if your suggesting starting Horford for 5 minutes who comes on for Porzingis after 7/8 minutes ? You have to bring in Kornet don’t you ?

See this is why I think it’s stupid. We have 2 centers that should be the only one’s seeing game time. By starting them both together you ultimately have to make a 3rd/4th string center a part of your rotation. Start White & the team becomes a lot more balanced.

No, you can stagger them. If both bigs start, you sub White in for 1 of them at the 6 minute mark. Then after that big gets a few mins of rest, he checks back in, replacing the other big.

And you just keep rotating them like that, with 1 of the bigs on the bench sometimes, and sometimes with both of them out there together.

It's just staggering. Same thing we did 2 yrs ago with Rob and Al..and same thing we did last season when Rob and Al started together.

With that being said, my preferred starting lineup is with White starting and Al as the 6th man..

[Hal14]

If Cs don’t want to use Kornet but still want to begin games with double bigs:

Horford:
1Q: 1200 to 0700 (5 mins)
1Q: 0200 to 0000 (2 mins)
2Q: 1200 to 0600 (6 mins)
Repeat in 2nd half for a total 26 minutes per game.

Porzingis:
1Q: 1200 to 0200 (10 mins)
2Q: 0600 to 0000 (6 mins)
Repeat in 2nd half for a total of 32 mpg.

Horford and Porzingis play together 10 mpg.

Kornet: 0 minutes

It’s doable.

Spoiler:

If it’s up to me, I’d be banished from the fandom cos I would go in a totally different and radical direction. I’d put in our best defensive lineup to start halves.

Great breakdown. A couple small nitpicks from me though for why I don’t want to do this:

1) Minutes are actually a little high. I want Horford at 24 and KP at 30.

Al played 30.5 MPG last season. And based on what we've seen in preseason so far, he hasn't lost a step, still in great shape.

I figure we'll reduce his minutes a little bit this season to keep him fresh and since he's a year older. But we probably won't reduce them too much - he'll probably be around 28 MPG this season, maybe 27 at the lowest.

Porzingis, when he's been healthy has usually been around 31-32 MPG during his career.

So I'm thinking about 31 MPG for KP and 28 MPG for Al..so 59 total mins. 48 mins at center, so about 11 they can play together.

The other mins at the 4 (when we don't go double big) we can have Tatum (or perhaps Brissett/Stevens) at the 4..or we might go with a 3rd big like Kornet against bigger teams.

Side note: I'm optimistic that either Queta or Gabriel will emerge as a solid backup big too - possibly leapfrogging Kornet on the depth chart.

Other side note: I'm in favor of White in the starting lineup, with Al as the 6th man.

[hugepatsfan]

Starting Horford for 5 mins then inserting White is not going to lose us games.
How many teams are we going to have bring in Kornet for Horford against?
Our team is huge and skilled at every position with 3 point shooting everywhere.
Going small with Zinger as the 'big' will be fine in 99% of cases.

So if your suggesting starting Horford for 5 minutes who comes on for Porzingis after 7/8 minutes ? You have to bring in Kornet don’t you ?

See this is why I think it’s stupid. We have 2 centers that should be the only one’s seeing game time. By starting them both together you ultimately have to make a 3rd/4th string center a part of your rotation. Start White & the team becomes a lot more balanced.

No, you can stagger them. If both bigs start, you sub White in for 1 of them at the 6 minute mark. Then after that big gets a few mins of rest, he checks back in, replacing the other big.

And you just keep rotating them like that, with 1 of the bigs on the bench sometimes, and sometimes with both of them out there together.

It's just staggering. Same thing we did 2 yrs ago with Rob and Al..and same thing we did last season when Rob and Al started together.

With that being said, my preferred starting lineup is with White starting and Al as the 6th man..

It’d be a little more challenging to do this. For one, that year we played Kanter (pre deadline) and Theis a decent amount that regular season. And having to play guys like Kornet in that role is what people want to avoid here.

Rob and Al were both at about 29 minutes per game that regular season too. It’s not a huge deal but I’d think Porzingis is at that number and Horford a bit lower. So probably like 5 less minutes. Not huge, but does make it a little more challenging.

Math has been broken down, but it’s just hard to accomplish all 3:

1) start Al and KP
2) limit Al and KP minutes per game
3) not play any of the other bigs in the primary rotation

If they start together, there’s really no other option to play them together a few minutes to start each half and then never go back to it. Again, unless you’re ok with someone else filling in at the 5. And I’d rather have the option to go 2-big more sporadically and matchup oriented than being pigeonholed into starting each half with it.

[Floody23]

Starting Horford for 5 mins then inserting White is not going to lose us games.
How many teams are we going to have bring in Kornet for Horford against?
Our team is huge and skilled at every position with 3 point shooting everywhere.
Going small with Zinger as the 'big' will be fine in 99% of cases.

So if your suggesting starting Horford for 5 minutes who comes on for Porzingis after 7/8 minutes ? You have to bring in Kornet don’t you ?

See this is why I think it’s stupid. We have 2 centers that should be the only one’s seeing game time. By starting them both together you ultimately have to make a 3rd/4th string center a part of your rotation. Start White & the team becomes a lot more balanced.

No, you can stagger them. If both bigs start, you sub White in for 1 of them at the 6 minute mark. Then after that big gets a few mins of rest, he checks back in, replacing the other big.

And you just keep rotating them like that, with 1 of the bigs on the bench sometimes, and sometimes with both of them out there together.

It's just staggering. Same thing we did 2 yrs ago with Rob and Al..and same thing we did last season when Rob and Al started together.

With that being said, my preferred starting lineup is with White starting and Al as the 6th man..

I just don’t think that’s a wise idea because you’re only giving Horford or Porzingis 2 minutes rest. Over a long season that doesn’t seem like the smartest idea.

We need to get over this obsession of double-big. It worked wonders for a 2 month stretch 18 months ago but that was with a peak Rob & younger Al. I’m not saying it can’t work again but their’s just so many better reasons to start Horford on the bench. One factor I think people don’t seem to realise is Tatum plays better at the 4. He gained 12 pounds over the off season which gives more reason to play him there too.

[Hal14]

So if your suggesting starting Horford for 5 minutes who comes on for Porzingis after 7/8 minutes ? You have to bring in Kornet don’t you ?

See this is why I think it’s stupid. We have 2 centers that should be the only one’s seeing game time. By starting them both together you ultimately have to make a 3rd/4th string center a part of your rotation. Start White & the team becomes a lot more balanced.

No, you can stagger them. If both bigs start, you sub White in for 1 of them at the 6 minute mark. Then after that big gets a few mins of rest, he checks back in, replacing the other big.

And you just keep rotating them like that, with 1 of the bigs on the bench sometimes, and sometimes with both of them out there together.

It's just staggering. Same thing we did 2 yrs ago with Rob and Al..and same thing we did last season when Rob and Al started together.

With that being said, my preferred starting lineup is with White starting and Al as the 6th man..

I just don’t think that’s a wise idea because you’re only giving Horford or Porzingis 2 minutes rest. Over a long season that doesn’t seem like the smartest idea.

We need to get over this obsession of double-big. It worked wonders for a 2 month stretch 18 months ago but that was with a peak Rob & younger Al. I’m not saying it can’t work again but their’s just so many better reasons to start Horford on the bench. One factor I think people don’t seem to realise is Tatum plays better at the 4. He gained 12 pounds over the off season which gives more reason to play him there too.

I said a "few" minutes of rest. Probably like 5 or 6 mins (maybe 4). And then that player probably comes back out for more rest at some point in the 2nd quarter too.

We did it for more than 2 months. It was the entire season pretty much in 21-22 and also quite a few games in 22-23 season when Rob and Al started together.

But again, like I mentioned..my preferred starting lineup is with White in..and Al as the 6th man. So this is a non-issue if we go with that starting 5.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[shackles10]

The two guys most guaranteed to start can make the easiest comments about sacrifice in coming off the bench lol.

[Hal14]

Really wish the media would stop constantly badgering the players with questions about how they feel about being in the starting lineup. They're pointed questions to try and get a player to say something stupid, selfish and have them painted in a light that makes them look like they'll be disgruntled if they don't start.

Who cares. All 6 of them will play a ton. It's not up to them who starts - stop asking them about it.

[shackles10]

Really wish the media would stop constantly badgering the players with questions about how they feel about being in the starting lineup. They're pointed questions to try and get a player to say something stupid, selfish and have them painted in a light that makes them look like they'll be disgruntled if they don't start.

Who cares. All 6 of them will play a ton. It's not up to them who starts - stop asking them about it.

Agreed, but I think they’re also just getting asked because we don’t officially know what the starting lineup will be and hoping an answer from a player will shed light on what it will be most nights. In fairness what the starting lineup will be is something of interest for fans. We’ve got one direct thread on it here and others indirectly discussing it too.

[Hal14]

Really wish the media would stop constantly badgering the players with questions about how they feel about being in the starting lineup. They're pointed questions to try and get a player to say something stupid, selfish and have them painted in a light that makes them look like they'll be disgruntled if they don't start.

Who cares. All 6 of them will play a ton. It's not up to them who starts - stop asking them about it.

Agreed, but I think they’re also just getting asked because we don’t officially know what the starting lineup will be and hoping an answer from a player will shed light on what it will be most nights. In fairness what the starting lineup will be is something of interest for fans. We’ve got one direct thread on it here and others indirectly discussing it too.

So ask Joe about it. He's the only one who is gonna know what the starting lineup is gonna be.

Asking the players about it accomplishes nothing - can only lead to locker room dysfunction - especially when the media constantly badgers each of our top 6 players about it.

[zoyathedestroya]

To end all debate about who to start, Joe needs to be more innovative and start all six of our top players. Ground-breaking move no other team would even consider.

[Bad-Thoma]

To end all debate about who to start, Joe needs to be more innovative and start all six of our top players. Ground-breaking move no other team would even consider.

My first thought was starting Alstaps Porzingford but it would be easier to have White and Brown both wear the same number and change their names to "Beige".

[zoyathedestroya]

To end all debate about who to start, Joe needs to be more innovative and start all six of our top players. Ground-breaking move no other team would even consider.

My first thought was starting Alstaps Porzingford but it would be easier to have White and Brown both wear the same number and change their names to "Beige".

Why start double big when you can go triple big?



Celtics unis would have to be trench coat length and we're set.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[zoyathedestroya]

I'm sure I already posted this in video form.

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[Parliament10]

Well, according to the Poll, the likely Starters are Tatum & Porziņģis, followed by Jrue, then Brown.
With White Starting 3/4th's of the Time, and Horford Starting 1/4th.

I can live with that.
Especially if it gets us to Banner 18.

[zoyathedestroya]

I did the math. And this is the only starting lineup that makes sense.



EDIT: I lied. Horford (42) - White (9) - Kristaps (8) - Jaylen (7) - Jayson (0) also amount to 18. So does Horford (42) ÷ Jaylen (7) + Holiday (4) + Kristaps (8) + Jayson (0). I now get why it's hard to make the decision on this.

[zoyathedestroya]

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