Who will make the Celtics rotation?

With the Celtics preseason in the books, fans can feel pretty confident that this team will be at least better than last years team. The Celtics constant ball movement and high pressure defense looked strong through many stretches of the preseason. After finishing 5-3 and using a plethora of different lineups, were still yet to see who cracked the rotation and who will be spending time on the bench. After the Celtics waived Will Bynum their roster is now set at 15. Of these 15 here is how I project the rotation to look before Rondo returns and when he returns:

Pre-Rondo

Starters:
Marcus Smart
Avery Bradley
Jeff Green
Jared Sullinger
Kelly Olynk

Bench:
Pressy
Thorton
Turner
Bass
Zeller

Bubble Players: James Young/Gerald Wallace

Bench Warmers: Dwight Powell, Vitor Favareni, (Rajon Rondo)

Verdict: Though Turner started the exhibitions strong, his production slowed down while Marcus Smart improved to the point where Coach Stevens was safe naming him the starting Point Guard. In Stevens second year, he’ll probably want to keep as much continuity in his starting lineup as possible so Bradley,Green,Sullinger, and Olynk are pretty much no-brainers. Also, with the exception of James Young, this starting unit is made of Boston’s “future stars” with Smart,Bradley,Sullinger, and Olynk. It will be interesting to see how they blend together against legit NBA competition. Bubble players James Young and Gerald Wallace will see sporadic minutes, but unless players like Thorton and Turner start to decline their minutes will never be consistent.

When Rondo Returns

Starters:
Rondo
Bradley
Green
Sullinger
Olynk

Bench:
Smart
Thorton
Turner
Bass
Zeller

Bubble Players: James Young,Gerald Wallace, Phil Pressy

Bench Warmers: Vitor Favareni, Dwight Powell

Verdict: With Rondo back not much changes. He assumes his spot as the starting Point Guard, Smart drops down in the backup role, and Pressy turns into a bubble player and more of an insurance policy. With a Rondo trade still a high possibility, Pressy needs to show that he can at least handle the backup role which is most likely going to be his ceiling as an NBA player. Players like Green, Turner, Thorton, and Bass will also need to play well for themselves, and for their future because chances are Boston may choose to move them if the season begins to go south, and Ainge decides to go all-in on the rebuild. This season will be interesting to say the least for Celtics fans. The team could either be overachieving and fighting for a playoff spot, or shopping half of their team and buckling in for a tank battle with the Philadelphia Sixers. As teams see what type of players they have, and needs begin to grow, Boston will be a player in whatever the market brings. Hopefully, Boston is able to acquire a rim protecting center who can play in the paint. If not, don’t expect this team to do more than live and die by the three to an improbable playoff run or back into the lottery.