Preparing to go through a gap year while Jayson Tatum recovers from an Achilles injury doesn’t give the Boston Celtics a license to trot out their current frontline—unless the goal is to tank their hearts out. With both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White still in tow, we have to assume that’s not plan A.
Beantown’s 4-5 rotation is currently populated by Sam Hauser, Georges Niang, Xavier Tillman, Neemias Queta, Josh Minnott and Luka Garza. That is rough. Especially when it’s only a matter of time before Hauser or Niang ambles his way onto the chopping block as the Celtics continue to slash operating costs.
Perhaps Boston will snare another 4 and/or 5 as part of subsequent trades. Or maybe it’s secretly hoping Al Horford will get tired of being held hostage by restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga and return on the minimum.
Whatever the Celtics are doing here, no matter how out-of-the-mix they’re attempting to be, the frontcourt needs more juice.