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Topic: Give us your starting lineup and explain why you chose that lineup.
For my Celtics starting five next season, I’m going with Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta.
This starting five balances shooting and spacing, allowing the Celtics to continue the ‘Mazzulla Ball’ approach of driving and kicking, and opening up the three-point line. This lineup also gives the keys for guys like Pritchard, Hauser, and Queta to expand their roles.
Pritchard at the point sets the tone with his pace and playmaking. Coming off his Sixth Man of the Year win, he has shown the ability to run the offense when trusted with minutes. White’s steady two-way presence can cover some of the defensive gaps with a more undersized backcourt. Also, with Tatum still recovering from his torn Achilles, White can expand his offensive impact with more opportunities.
On the wing, Brown is obviously the go-to scorer and the number one option for the Celtics. Surrounding him with Hauser opens up the floor and gives Jaylen the driving lanes that he thrives on. Up front, Queta adds rim protection and rebounding, something that this undersized lineup needs. Queta doesn’t need touches to impact the game, but scoring opportunities will be there, especially on the offensive glass.
It’s not the traditional starting lineup Celtics fans are used to, but I like how the pieces complement each other: quick guards to push the pace, shooting on the wings, and a big body in the middle to anchor the defense. (Is this okay? I can make it shorter if needed.)
Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Chris Bocuher and Neemias Queta.
Pritchard has built trust with Mazzulla as a sixth man through excellence and I believe he’s very comfortable there but as the door has been opened the time must come. The reigning sixth man of the year averaged 14ppg and 4asts off the bench on 47/41/84 splits with a 19% USG rate. Pritchard eclipsed his season average 19% USG rate in 36 games last season. In these games his averages jumped to 19ppg 4ast while shooting 61% from 2 and 42% from 3. This goes to my belief that he’s very capable with more ball time. Above all else he is one of the hardest working guys in the league and we know he is busting his ass in the gym relishing at this upcoming opportunity.
We know about DWhite and JB
Boucher was my pick at the 4 and I really have no problem if Hauser was here for continuity + guaranteed spacing purposes but I think Boucher adds a different element to the starting lineup (also doesn’t mean he has to play more minutes than Sam). Boucher even at 32 is still a freakish athlete and provides much needed length to a group that lost a lot of that in the offseason. Boucher will also allow Mazzulla to still have a help side shot blocker guard the opposing teams worst shooting wing which we’ve seen many times. While he’s not a Hauser level shooter Boucher has shot a combined 37% from 3 in the two seasons he’s shot over 4 threes a game. And with the Cs I think he can get close to that number. Think he’s a much more suited for the 4 than 5
Queta due to the competition here is the obvious choice but I think he can provide. His screening, offensive rebounding, and rim protection can serve valuable on a team that lost every interior presence they had last season (Al,KP,Luke). Questions still arise when looking at his defensive rebounding, post defense, positioning, and consistent quick decision making but he will have time to learn. I think the biggest adjustment for him will be guarding centers a lot more due to the Celtics losing a lot of defensive versatility in Jrue, Al, and Tatum who all guarded bigs allowing Queta and Luke to guard wings and help.
Will be an interesting year but with time I think this group can be solid while playing a faster pace.
“Football is like a short blanket. If you cover your head, you uncover your feet, and if you cover your feet, you uncover your head.”
Sixty years ago South American football manager, Elba de Pádua Lima summed up the ongoing struggle of any coach of an invasion-game sport. Tilt your lineup too heavily towards the attack and the defense becomes exposed. Shore up your defenses and suddenly your attack wilts without the required TLC. In the past, Joe Mazzula has drawn from Pep Guardiola to great effect. With Jayson Tatum sidelined I believe the Celts should come to terms with Elba’s enduring analogy. It’s one that may shape the Boston Celtics 25/26 season.
For the last 18 months of Celtics basketball, Jayson Tatum has been the most luxurious blanket a coach could ever dream of. Long enough to cover head, shoulders, knees, and toes. With Tatum at power forward the C’s had a primary initiator, elite spacer, and All-NBA defender rolled into one. As great a cheat code as any in the NBA. This season, Joe has to decide whether to sacrifice defense or offense. It is a task I do not envy, but here is the starting lineup I would field to try and have the best proverbial sleep possible:
PG: Payton Pritchard
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Chris Boucher
C: Neemias Queta
If you couldn’t tell, I am opting to cover my toes: to try and maintain a solid defensive identity while potentially sacrificing the dizzying Mazzula-Ball offense. I envision this group playing fast, still shooting at volume and facing struggles in half court offensive settings. It’s not perfect by any means and for me, the philosophy-defining choice comes in replacing Tatum at the four spot. Hauser or Boucher; special spacing or a swarm of activity and defensive ability.
Boston’s secret weapon since the 23/24 season has been the ability to field five-out lineups, and this starting five contains one absolute non-spacer in Queta and a shaky shooter in Boucher. This is a departure from the basketball that we’ve come to love in the past few seasons.
It may seem bleak but just because it’s different; It’s not all doom and gloom. The case for Chris is a strong one. Since the 2022 season in over 14,000 minutes of basketball Boucher has had a +6.8 on/off net rating swing. A combination of boundless energy, offensive rebounding, a willingness to shoot (particularly from the corners) will be useful in a starting five that should prioritise getting Brown, White and Pritchard as much on ball time as possible.
Opting for a double-big lineup allows Boston to match up with elite teams across the division: Cleveland, New York, Milwaukee to name a few. They will be underdogs this season and there is an argument to size down and hope to win games 140–130 but to me, it’s one that falters. In a league that is becoming more physical by the year, Hauser at the four feels like a decision that the D’Antoni Rockets may have taken in the late 2010’s. Fine for the time, shout out Chandler Parsons, but today it’s an outdated one. Spacing is still king in the NBA but I personally can’t reconcile ceding such a large athletic advantage on a night to night basis.
The risk with this starting five is that you’re adding greater constraints to your best offensive players in a season that already looks to present it’s challenges but there is no magic blanket this year. Sacrifices will be made, tough spells endured, and growing pains will really sting. Yet by acknowledging those sacrifices, by allowing our shoulders to get a little frosty, the hope is that there won’t be too many nightmarish nights in TD Garden as the Boston Celtics dream of competing for a Larry O’Brien once more.
Payton Pritchard. Have we considered that PP might actually be the answer to the massive usage hole Tatum’s injury has left behind? Last year’s 6MOTY definitely took a huge leap in 2024, but I think we’re set for an even bigger leap this season. Pritchard was excellent in both the pick and roll and isolation last season, and he’s ready for more volume. Give him the minutes, Joe.
Derrick White. He’s the glue, and he’s going to guard the opposing team’s best player every night. He’s an obvious choice on both ends as he can play both on and off the ball, guard a variety of players, and defend on the perimeter and at the rim. Big season incoming, but don’t be shocked if his offensive efficiency takes a hit.
Sam Hauser. It’s time Hauser finally gets his chance. No, he’s not a bad defender, and perhaps the opportunity to start and guard starting caliber players is what he needs in order to shake his unwarranted reputation. Offensively, Hauser’s ability to shift the court’s geometry with his movement is much needed without Tatum’s offensive pop, and I think his off the dribble game could improve with more reps as well.
Jaylen Brown. This one’s obvious. I shouldn’t have to explain much… but Brown should be an All NBA guy this year and finally has a chance to show the league that he can be The Guy on a legit team.
Neemias Queta. If you’re as much a basketball freak as me, you’ve watched all of Queta’s Eurobasket games. And unless you don’t have eyes, you’ve come away impressed. He’s as confident with the ball in his hands as he’s ever been, and his defensive instincts and decisiveness have taken a huge leap. He’s could be a legit starting center.
There’s one question that sums up the Celtics’ mundane-yet-chaotic offseason: Who would’ve thought? Jayson Tatum’s ruptured right Achilles in last season’s playoffs slammed the door on a title run, sending championship dreams down Causeway Street like a crypto pump-and-dump crash. Now Tatum is still in recovery, Jrue Holiday — the backbone of their defense — is gone, and Kristaps Porzingis, the best big man Boston’s had since Kevin Garnett, is sipping his pregame coffee with Trae Young in Atlanta.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t take a full-throttle approach this go-around and instead resorted to a much more minimalist roster build. Stevens leaned into the teardown, beneficial to Bill Chisholm and the rest of the organization’s new brass. That meant leaving Joe Mazzulla with a slew of new faces and a new challenge unlike anything the soon-to-be fourth-year head coach has ever encountered.
As the roster stands and with over three weeks until the preseason, Boston has reached an interesting spot — albeit with options. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are shoo-ins for the starting five. Anfernee Simons, coming off a productive 19.3-point average across a career-high 70 starts last season for the Trail Blazers, should join Brown and White as the third scoring option. Sam Hauser, usually a spark off the bench, could see a promotion to the starting unit to stretch the floor with his spot-up shooting, leaving Payton Pritchard to anchor the reserve unit as its primary playmaker. Up front, Neemias Queta emerges as the most logical starting big. Coming off an impressive EuroBasket run with Portugal, the 26-year-old could focus solely on rebounding and rim protecting without needing to force the scoring load. That setup pushes Chris Boucher into a steady veteran reserve role while still leaving room for Mazzula to experiment with Luka Garza’s skill set.
Prediction: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta
Celtics Starting Lineup: Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Josh Minott, Neemias Queta
The Boston Celtics are playing with house money this season. With Jayson Tatum out on top of three key rotation departures, nobody has any expectations for this year. It’s a get-out-of-jail-free card for Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla to get weird with their acquisitions and lineup decisions. So why not start weird?
It’s not tricky to puzzle out why starting their three best offensive players (Pritchard, White, Brown) makes sense. As their defensive personnel have dwindled, their best chance to win comes from maximizing the offense. You can make an argument for the newest Celtic, Anfernee Simons, over Pritchard. But I’d rather see what the former 6MOY can do as a full-time starter.
The frontcourt is where things are tough to solve. After a strong EuroBasket showing, it behooves the Celtics to see if Neemias Queta can make a leap. Taking meaningful strides as a defensive rebounder, mover in space, and roll-man finisher would change their future outlook. A capable rotation big man coming off the scrap heap is a good piece of business; a legitimate starter is a coup.
I paired Minott with Queta as frontcourt partners because he has the most upside among their forwards. In non-garbage time for Minnesota last year, Minott recorded a 96th percentile block rate and an 83rd percentile steal rate, according to Cleaning the Glass. If he can solve his fouling troubles, there’s a special defender in there.
As long as Queta has rim protection deficiencies, he holds back Derrick White’s excellence as a point-of-attack defender. But with an explosive rotational defender in Minott sharing the floor, Mazzulla can be more aggressive with his defensive coverages and rely on event creation to get stops and juice the transition game.
Who’s lineup do you agree with? Did anyone sway you to a different opinion? Don’t forget to give them a warm welcome!
