JUST IN: Boston (#4 / Point guard, Shooting guard) reveals thoughts on Celtics’ starting lineup and His Role To Winning The League…

October 17, 2023 admin Boston celtics 0

Jrue Holiday reveals thoughts on Celtics’ starting lineup

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) dribbles the ball up the court during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)AP

BOSTON (AP) — When the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday just before the start of training camp, the top six players on the roster were thrust into the spotlight.

Despite the loss of depth, the signing of Holiday gave Boston perhaps the finest top-end talent in the league, giving them a substantial edge.

When it comes to the starting lineup, this puts C’s coach Joe Mazzulla in an interesting position.

While the C’s have a strong six-man lineup, one of them will have to come off the bench. Those decisions are still up in the air, and Holiday hasn’t made up his mind about whether he’ll start or not.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Holiday said of starting. “I like winning. Winning is really important.

Playing good on the court is important. Supporting my teammates is important. So it’s not always how you start, it’s how you finish.

Looking at the six, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are going to be starters as the team’s faces of the franchise.

Then Kristaps Porzingis will likely also be in the starting group. It gets a little murky from there between Holiday, Derrick White and Al Horford.

It’s a great problem to have for the C’s as all six players are capable starting-level players in the league.

Of course, the Celtics don’t have to stick to one five-man group every night. Injuries or rest will mean the C’s dip into their depth over the course of a long regular season.
Even when every player is available, the Celtics can put together their starting lineup dependent on matchups.
“The good thing about our guys is they’re relatively flexible in their sub patterns,” Mazzulla said. “We’ve changed both Tatum and Brown and Al at different points.
So I think it’s a little bit matchup based, and at the same time, how can we create advantages and how can we get guys on the floor that play together really well? So it’s a little bit of a balance of both, but we don’t have anything set in stone right now.”
Whatever and whoever the Celtics decide to be part of the starting lineup, each look will give them different strengths and adjustments. If they go double big, Porzingis and Horford should fit well together.
Having Holiday and White on the floor gives the C’s one of the best defensive backcourts in the league. And as Holiday said, finishing the game is more important than who starts.

As of now, the Celtics haven’t revealed much through the first three preseason games. Holiday came off the bench in the opener, but he was still ramping up. The top-6 didn’t play in the second game.

Then in the third preseason game, Tatum and Brown sat. Mazzulla also warned not to read much into preseason games as the C’s continue to tinker with their roster. Regardless, they’ll still have one of the most talented rosters in the league.

“It’s been fun,” Holiday said of practices. “We are pretty guard-heavy. A lot of defensive guys and offensive guys. But you see the top dogs going at it, Jaylen and JT going at it.

Then you might see Payton (Pritchard) and JB going at it, you’ll see D-White and me going at it.

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