The Boston Celtics have so many quality players on their roster, Brad Stevens has had trouble finding minutes for them all. Even more so, Stevens has had to figure out the most succinct lineups where his players could collaborate best. It’s been a struggle for Stevens, to say the least.
Kyrie Irving, the Celtics all-star point guard, said to Jay King of the Athletic he’d like Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris to start:
Kyrie Irving gave another endorsement to the starting lineup change. He has been on board with that since Stevens initially turned to Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris in the first unit.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) December 15, 2018
For the majority of the season, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford have been in the starting lineup. With Horford and Hawyard being out due to injury, Stevens had started Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris alongside Jayson Tatum, Irving, and Aron Baynes in an overtime win against the Washington Wizards. Who Stevens chooses to start moving forward won’t matter because his team is used to adapting.
Irving told Jay King of the Athletic that he believes the Celtics are the playing as a team:
“I think that it’s already hard to scheme for me, but it’s even harder to scheme for a team that really plays together. So we’re swinging it, making sure everybody touches it. And one shot is our shot. And we all feel good about it.”
Irving had 37 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds while shooting 12/28 from the field. My guess is that Irving enjoyed having the majority of the offensive workload with players who delegate their touches to him.
The Celtics are 17-10 on the season and they sit in the fifth-seed of the NBA’s Eastern Conference. They face off against the Pistons in Detroit on Saturday.
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