This will be an interesting season for the Celtics as a lot of things are now different in Boston. From the front office to the coaching staff, the Celtics have some new personnel. Brad Stevens will now be the new president of basketball operations following Danny Ainge’s departure. Stevens was the coach of the Celtics since 2013 but he will find himself in a very different role, having to manage more than just what the players will do in practice and what rotations he should put out on the floor. Taking over for him as head coach will be Ime Udoka, who has had stints as an assistant coach with the Spurs, the 76ers, and more recently the Nets. With a gritty and defensive mindset let’s see how he can shake things up on the court.
Now, how does the roster look for these new C’s? Let’s start at the guard position. The new boys here are Dennis Schroder (signed as an FA) and Josh Richardson, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks. Schroder will most likely take the starting point guard role and with that alone, he could have some value in the later rounds. Last season he averaged 15.4 points with 5.8 assists and 1.2 steals. This year, we can expect more of the same as long as he keeps that starting spot with starter minutes.
Richardson, on the other hand, may not be a starter as the Celtics still have the likes of Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown who can play the shooting guard and small forward positions. J-Rich will probably not be as relevant as the other guards around him, but on the off chance of an injury or some type of shake-up, he could produce given the minutes.
Marcus Smart will be an interesting one this season. Heading into year eight the scrappy guard may find himself carrying a bigger load than expected. He may even have the starting point guard spot depending on Schroder’s play or what Udoka wants to do. On a good night, Smart can get you a bit of everything. This year we can expect him to once again average over 11-12 points and rack up at least six assists with four rebounds a night. Payton Pritchard may also see some run, but he will most likely only be fantasy relevant in deeper leagues.
To round out the guard position, we end with a potential All-Star this season in Jaylen Brown. Brown’s ceiling this year is scary. Right now, he can be seen as the Robin to Jayson Tatum’s Batman. But, and that’s a big but, there is a world where Brown goes from the second option to 1b. Last season, he averaged nearly 25 points with six assists, a little over three rebounds, and a steal as well. All numbers, believe it or not, can increase just a little more. If he stays fit, of course, Jaylen can reach 26 points a night that can go with nearly seven rebounds and four assists. He’ll have a great case for another All-Star appearance.
On to the forward positions, besides Jaylen and Josh, who we’ve talked about we have another heavy hitter here. A future MVP of the league, and even a dark horse pick for this year’s MVP award. The one and only, Jayson Tatum. JT is a top 15 player in the league and this season he has the opportunity to push for a top 10 spot. In fantasy, he is already a top 10 guy and will likely go in the first round. For this season, we can expect averages of close to 30 points, seven to eight rebounds, and five assists to go along with a steal a night.
Sophomore Aaron Nesmith may see some run this year with the departure of Semi Ojeleye. Nesmith can be a good three-point shooter and haul in a few rebounds a game. Juancho Hernangomez will probably not be fantasy relevant, but maybe in deeper leagues.
The center position for the Celtics this year will be very interesting. Udoka will have a plethora of picks with Al Horford, Robert Williams III, and Enes Kanter. The clear answer here is Time Lord. When given the time, as the nickname states, Rob Williams, is an absolute beast. He is elite at shot-blocking, can haul in a good amount of rebounds, and is great for your field goal percentage. But, Horford may have a legitimate shot at the starting spot and if that happens he can be a good source of points, rebounds, and even some threes. To round off with Enes Kanter, I don’t see much time for him, but if given the shot keep an eye out for him as he can be a double-double machine with a good field goal percentage.
The Celtics have a season of redemption on the horizon and will look upon their young stars, Tatum and Brown, to navigate them through it. They can go as high as a top 3 seed or as low as a play-in tournament spot. It will be a season of many twists and turns, but one thing will be certain, they will always have players that can produce for your teams. Good luck out there!
