Celtics coach Stevens looking to go big, use more 'traditional' lineups
With an embarrassment of riches in his frontcourt, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is coming up with schemes and lineups that will cater to his larger roster in 2015-16.
The Celtics added two quality bigs to the fold this offseason, signing former Toronto Raptor Amir Johnson to a two-year, $24-million contract, while also acquiring 32-year-old David Lee in a trade with the Golden State Warriors.
Adding Johnson and Lee to a rotation that already features Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olynyk, and Jared Sullinger will require some tinkering and maneuvering on the part of Stevens. Johnson, Olynyk, and Sullinger can stretch the floor with the occasional make from 3-point range, but they don't do it regularly enough to be counted on consistently.
Stevens told Jay King of MassLive.com recently that changes will have to be made as he enters his third year on the job.
Obviously, small ball was a big help last season. Stevens "interested to see" bigger lineups. "We’ll do what’s best."
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) September 2, 2015
Stevens: "We have more traditional bigs than last year, so we have to play a little bit more traditional and ...be prepared to do that well"
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) September 2, 2015
With the common trend in today's NBA being small-ball lineups, Stevens can take advantage of the fact that he has a bounty of options in his frontcourt, continuously pounding the rock down low until opposing squads adapt to what he's running, and not vice-versa.
2014-15 Statistics
| Player | PPG | FG% | RPG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amir Johnson | 9.3 | 57.4 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
| David Lee | 7.9 | 51.1 | 5.2 | 0.5 |
| Kelly Olynyk | 10.3 | 47.5 | 4.7 | 0.6 |
| Jared Sullinger | 13.3 | 43.9 | 7.6 | 0.7 |
| Tyler Zeller | 10.2 | 54.9 | 5.7 | 0.6 |
(Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)