{"id":97194,"date":"2025-08-26T01:25:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T01:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/97194\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T01:25:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T01:25:07","slug":"what-boston-celtics-starting-lineup-could-look-like-this-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/97194\/","title":{"rendered":"What Boston Celtics starting lineup could look like this season"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Celtics take the court for the 2025-26 NBA season, plenty of fans are going to see new faces<\/a>. That\u2019s the natural cycle of the league as the C\u2019s went through massive changes this offseason to slim payroll.<\/p>\n

Yes, there are some familiar names like Jaylen Brown, Derrick White<\/a> and Payton Pritchard. Of course, Jayson Tatum is also sidelined indefinitely<\/a> with his Achilles injury as it remains to be seen if he\u2019ll even play this upcoming season. But otherwise, compared to the past couple years, the C\u2019s look significantly different.<\/p>\n

That brings up a question that\u2019s already been debated this summer by fans: Who\u2019s going to start for the Celtics? No longer are the C\u2019s overflowing with talent like the past two seasons where they arguably had the best roster in the league. Here\u2019s a look at the starting lineup discussion:<\/p>\n

Guards (3): Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Anfernee Simons<\/p>\n

Forwards (7): Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh (non-guaranteed), Josh Minott, Hugo Gonzalez, Jayson Tatum (injured)<\/p>\n

Bigs (4): Neemias Queta, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman, Luka Garza<\/p>\n

Two-ways (3): RJ Luis Jr., Max Shulga, Amari Williams<\/p>\n

The obvious names<\/p>\n

Brown and White are just about guaranteed to be in the starting lineup considering their pedigree and play over the past several seasons. The storylines here are obvious during what should be an interesting year for the C\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Brown gets to be the top option with Tatum out for at least the majority of the season. The supporting cast isn\u2019t as robust, but still, it\u2019s a unique challenge for an All-Star like Brown at this point in his career. Brown had a stellar 2023-24 campaign where he was named the Finals MVP. But he was seemingly never fully healthy last season as he needed to get offseason knee surgery following the playoffs. So, Brown, who\u2019s 28 and in the middle of his prime, gets a chance to showcase what he can do as the top guy.<\/p>\n

White is one of the elite glue guys in the league as he broke the Celtics\u2019 single-season 3-point record last season. The green light will be on for White throughout next season just as it\u2019s already been. White has already endeared himself to the fan base with his play. He\u2019ll likely have more responsibilities considering the state of the roster, so if he starts off hot, there\u2019s a plausible scenario where he pushes for an All-Star bid.<\/p>\n

The guard duo<\/p>\n

Ever since the Celtics acquired Simons from the Trail Blazers<\/a>, the guard has consistently been in trade rumors. That\u2019s no surprise as he\u2019s on an expiring $27.7 million contract. So for a team that\u2019s looking to shed payroll, and with Simons not necessarily fitting long-term, the rumors make sense.<\/p>\n

But Simons is a Celtic for now. If the C\u2019s do open camp with him, where he fits alongside Pritchard is a big point. It\u2019s unlikely the Celtics have an answer to that at this point since the team hasn\u2019t even practiced together yet. While both guys are talented, it\u2019s more about the fit. Pritchard is coming off a career-best season as the Sixth Man of the Year while Simons is a proven NBA scorer. But as smaller guards, they fulfill the same skillset.<\/p>\n

Who will step up?<\/p>\n

Tatum played the fifth-most total minutes in the NBA last season, so that\u2019s a lot of playing time that\u2019s available. The Celtics have armed themselves with plenty of options when it comes to wings, but who emerges is another question mark. Hauser feels like the favorite for a starter role considering his shooting and time with the team. He also fits well considering he isn\u2019t a ball-dominant player and is one of the best shooters in the league.<\/p>\n

Beyond Hauser, there\u2019s a glut of guys who are eager to push for playing time. Some mix of Scheierman, Walsh, Minott and first-round pick Gonzalez will be in the mix for a rotation spot. Three of those guys are recent Celtics draft picks, though expectations will be lower for Gonzalez, who\u2019s still 19 entering his first NBA season. So it\u2019ll fall on one of the older three to make an impact on the main club.<\/p>\n

Who will step up? Part II but also bigs version<\/p>\n

Celtics fans should be no strangers to the big man situation. No longer do the Celtics employ their top-3 bigs in Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and likely Al Horford. The C\u2019s did add new names in Boucher and Garza through free agency, joining Queta and Tillman. At this point, Queta has been projected as a potential starter since he\u2019s shown flashes. But Boucher and Garza should also be in the conversation. Tillman\u2019s knee slowed him down last season, so how he looks coming out of training camp is another factor. If Tillman looks like the guy who made an impact in the NBA Finals, that\u2019ll be at least a positive development.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, to take a guess at the starting lineup, it could look like a mix of: Pritchard, White, Brown, Hauser, Queta. But it\u2019s unlikely that none of the newcomers are part of the starting group, and realistically, the lineup will change over the course of an 82-game season. But it\u2019s fun to speculate at this point in the offseason with training camp still roughly a month away.<\/p>\n

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