Crawl to camp: Who will emerge as the Celtics’ 10th man this season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
THE Boston Celtics bring back their top nine rotation players from last season’s NBA championship team, a group that accounted for more than 90 percent of the team’s total minutes.
Additionally, the Celtics only lost two players from their roster from last season. Oshae Brissett And Svi Mykhailiuka duo that combined for just over 1,000 minutes of regular-season play. On paper, there’s not much room for anyone to carve their way into significant rotation minutes.
However, these departures, associated with Kristaps Porzingis being sidelined to start the season and with a general desire to tread carefully with veteran legs, there appears to be an opportunity for at least one other player on the roster to step into a consistent rotation presence.
So who might emerge?
For the seventh part of our Camp access ramp series, we asked our NBC Sports Boston panel to project the player most likely to emerge as BostonThe team’s 10th man during their title quest.
(See the the first six episodes of Ramp to Camp here.)
Let’s start with an overview of the candidates (not including two-way players):
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Xavier Tillman: The versatile big man logged just 274 total minutes after being acquired at the trade deadline last season, but head coach Joe Mazzulla hasn’t been afraid to call his number in key moments this postseason.
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Neemias Queta: The 7-foot big man helped fill big man minutes at times last season and earned an upgrade on the main roster after starting the season on a two-way contract.
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Jaden Springer: The trade deadline acquisition is in his fourth season but is just 21 years old. Springer has high defensive potential but needs to show growth on offense.
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Lonnie Walker IV: A surprise addition at the end of summer who will head to camp hoping to earn a spot on the parent roster. Unlike some of the backcourt players on Boston’s roster, Walker IV has proven he can be a steady NBA role player, though he still has room for improvement, particularly with his defensive potential.
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Baylor Scheierman: The 23-year-old rookie showed impressive range in college, but must prove he can consistently hit that shot at the professional level.
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Jordan Walsh: Walsh played just 83 minutes in nine NBA appearances as a 19-year-old rookie. He has all the tools to evolve into a 3-and-D threat, but his shooting challenged him in Summer League this year and he’ll have to prove he’s made progress since his rookie year.
Springer should have every opportunity to show what he can do early in the season. He’s projected to be the eighth-highest paid player on the roster and is eligible for an extension. The Celtics must decide fairly quickly whether they’re committed to developing him or relying on a more experienced prospect like Walker IV. Springer looked good in a brief appearance in Summer League.
Tillman seems like the player most likely to see an increase in playing time. After being forced to enter midseason last season, he will get a full training camp with the Celtics and should feel more comfortable in his role. Mazzulla can confidently send him out to defend players of all shapes and sizes.
Tillman’s defense will buy him time, but finding a way to evolve his offense could be the key to a consistent role. He’s shooting 28.6 percent from three-point range, but he’s worked on that shot. He never averaged more than seven points per game during his time in Memphis.
Walker IV’s wingspan gives him a chance to essentially be this year’s Brissett and an extra scoring option off the bench could be a good thing for Boston. It’s just a matter of how Walker IV fits in here and if he can push Tillman for those rotation minutes.
Here are our panel’s picks:
Jean TomaseColumnist:Baylor Scheierman
Scheierman not only played four years of college, he played five. He’s only two years younger than Jayson TatumThat kind of experience, along with his ability to shoot and rebound, should at least get him minutes at Oshae.
Tom GilesCross-Platform Host: Lonnie Walker IV
Lonnie Walker IV, and not just because of his penchant for recency. He’s a proven veteran who can defend and perform well on offense.
Max LedermanMultiplatform Producer: Baylor Scheierman
Is this the season Brad Stevens places the final Infinity Stone in the glove by selecting a draft pick? It’s the one area where he hasn’t been elite, but that’s about to change when Scheierman becomes the Celtics’ 10th man this season.
Scheierman’s shooting and passing should mesh well with Mazzulla Ball’s, and if he can hold his own on defense, watch out.
Mark Hazlett, Multiplatform Producer: Baylor Scheierman
I think Scheierman will find better teammates (read: outside of Summer League), and it would be a long-term benefit to have him run.
Darren HartwellEditor in Chief: Xavier Tillman
Scheierman and Walker both have good reasons to play, but I’ll go with the guy who’s had meaningful minutes in an NBA Finals. Tillman’s (relative) experience should allow him to earn a role right away with Porzingis sidelined, while also helping Al Horford Get some more rest.
Nick GossWeb Producer: Lonnie Walker IV
This guy can score, whether it’s driving to the basket or shooting over 35% from three-point range. He’s also pretty athletic and plays hard. His defense isn’t great, but he’ll likely be on the court with several other quality defenders, so that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Every team needs a player off the bench who can come in and perform. Scoring isn’t a problem for the 2018 first-round pick.
Justin LégerWeb Producer: Xavier Tillman
Tillman seems like the right choice here. He made strides several times after being acquired at last season’s trade deadline, both during the regular season and the playoffs. He should have a bigger role this season, especially with Porzingis sidelined and Horford in his age-38 campaign.
Kevin Miller, Vice President, Content: Lonnie Walker IV
May the 4th of July be with you.
