Boston Celtics projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
Boston Celtics starting small forward: Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum has cemented himself as one of the NBA’s true superstars. Boston hasn’t been to the mountaintop yet, but few teams have been more consistently in the vicinity of the mountaintop than the Celtics since Tatum’s arrival in 2017. He continues to get better each year, adding new layers to his diverse arsenal of polished scoring moves.
In many ways, Tatum is the ideal modern star: 6-foot-8 with a picturesque jumper, dynamic handles, and the cleanest footwork of any wing in the NBA. Tatum patiently picks apart his prey, sizing defenders up with hesitations or stutter-steps before uncorking any number of dribble moves to create space and flow effortlessly into his pull-up jumper.
Over the years, Tatum has become a bonafide three-level threat. He’s an elite, explosive finisher at the rim, he’s on the shortlist of best mid-range scorers in the NBA, and he’s absolute money from three-point range. He can shoot from any angle, on the move or standing still, and he’s a top-shelf wing defender to wrap it all together.
If there’s an area of growth for Tatum to focus on, it’s creating for others. He has made serious strides in that department but he’s still not a table-setter. He’s susceptible to well-time double teams and heavy pressure at the point of attack and it’s not uncommon for Tatum to be forced into a bad decision. He had a few rough moments sprinkled throughout his many brilliant stretches in the postseason. That’s nitpicking a top-seven player, but there’s always room for improvement no matter how good a player is.
Primary backup small forward: Jaylen Brown
The Celtics don’t have the same volume of depth as last season’s team. That won’t matter much if the core stays healthy, but it’s worth noting. The absences of players like Grant Williams and Marcus Smart in the wing rotation will be felt.
Other players who could receive minutes at small forward: Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh
Sam Hauser is a buttery spot-up shooter. He was seeing minutes in the postseason; Joe Mazzulla will find ways to squeeze him into the lineup between Tatum, Brown, White, and Brogdon.
The wild card here is second-round pick Jordan Walsh, who was the No. 22 prospect on the FanSided draft board. He looked the part of an immediate contributor in Summer League. He’s a ferocious defender with a plus-8 wingspan, real bounce, and a projectable three-point shot. He’s probably going to make a lot of front offices feel stupid when he’s getting run for the best team in the East as a teenager.