Coming into the season, all the talk surrounding the Boston Celtics has centered around how well Jayson Tatum and/or Jaylen Brown will lead this team.
But as you begin to pick apart and probe deep into this roster, you realize the play of Boston’s guards - and they have a few who can play, for real - may be the X-factor in this team’s success that we’re not paying enough attention to heading into training camp which begins next week.
There are only a handful of guards in the NBA whose individual prowess can carry a team deep into the playoffs.
None of them play for the Celtics.
But what Boston lacks in megawatt star power in the backcourt, they make up for with multiple waves of steady, blue-collar ballers.
That still leaves the business of sorting out the role call for these players which essentially comes down to being in one of three buckets: A player good enough to make the roster but probably won’t impact the game more than that; A rotation player but not quite a major, high impact performer; and lastly, a major role player whose impact will be felt in some capacity, every game.
Here’s the first edition of Role Call: Reserve, Rotation or (major) Role player with a focus on Boston’s guards.
Marcus Smart (6-3, 220, Guard)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Major Role
Why?: As the Celtics look to rebound from a subpar season, they’ll look to significantly bolster their overall team defense. That means Marcus Smart’s value, always high, will be even more important than ever. Look for Smart to have a strong season defensively and regain a spot on the league’s All-NBA defensive team.
Dennis Schröder (6-3, 172, Guard)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Major Role
Why?: Like most players, he’ll come into the season motivated to prove his worth which if successful, improves his worth. No need to regurgitate all the cheddar he left on the table by not accepting an extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers months ago. He has to play well in order to hit free agency and position himself for a bigger payday. That mindset and motivation should pay off for the Celtics this season.
Josh Richardson (6-5, 200, Guard)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Rotation
Why?: The best version of Josh Richardson came during the 2018-2019 season with the Miami Heat when he averaged a career-high 16.6 points and 4.1 assists which was also a career-best mark. Miami had Richardson play more as a playmaker that season, something he will not get ample opportunities to do in Boston with Smart and Schröder around. Still, he’s a talented enough two-way player whose value to this team will shine through from time to time to provide some much-needed backcourt depth.
Payton Pritchard (6-1, 195, Point Guard)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Reserve
Why?: He showed that he can be a regular in the rotation for the Celtics, with an overall strong showing that led to him being named to the Las Vegas Summer League First-Team. So how did the Celtics reward his progress? They went out and traded for Josh Richardson (and then gave him an extension), re-signed Marcus Smart to an extension and acquired Schroder at a well-below-market price of $5.89 million this season. There are just simply not enough minutes in the backcourt to see Pritchard contributing other than the occasional spot duty when someone is hurt or multiple players are sidelined with foul trouble. Don’t be surprised to see the second-year guard play well in short stints with the Celtics, but also make a few G-League visits to play with the Maine Celtics this season just to get him some real-game reps.
