Only hours before the 2017-18 season tips off, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens announced second-year player Jaylen Brown and rookie forward Jayson Tatum will start tonight's season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.

The two young players will suit up alongside newcomers Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, joining the lone returning starter in Al Horford, who will play at the center position this year.

Brown averaged only 17 minutes per game last season in a loaded Celtics team, but has made enough strides to earn the starting shooting guard spot after Avery Bradley was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Marcus Morris.

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Tatum will serve as a spot starter while Morris recovers from right knee soreness and gets enough reps with the first unit after missing a large part of training camp due to a trial for aggravated assault in Phoenix.

“With him getting here a little bit late, we feel like he needs a little more of a preseason,” Stevens said of Morris, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg. “He will most likely be out here for the coming week-plus, and then we will re-evaluate after that. They've done all the testing, and structurally, the knee is in good shape. But I think it is a quick turnaround to get here last week and play in a regular-season game. It's going to be a little bit of time probably before he hits the court again.”

Both Brown and Tatum will need to hold their own against a re-designed Cavaliers squad that will be out on their home floor, playing even more motivated after Irving's departure during the offseason.