Boston Celtics: Starting lineup locks, fringe, and potential break-ins

The Boston Celtics have young talent on the rise and are ready to win now. Who are the locks, fringe, and break-ins for the starting lineup?

The Boston Celtics have been frequent visitors to the draft table, using extra picks nearly every year for the last half-decade as they turned an impressive war chest into young players. Now the rubber meets the road as they seek to integrate their young talent with a few select veterans to form a starting lineup and rotation that can compete for a title.

Last season this team came close to the NBA Finals, weathering injuries and the chaos of a global pandemic to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, the second time in three seasons for the franchise. While it may seem disappointing to fall short again, this team’s two rising stars on the wing are still young. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both made leaps last season; can the Celtics look for a leap from anyone else on the roster?

All-Star point guard Kemba Walker will miss the first few weeks of the season, and likely longer, recovering from a knee injury. Former All-Star forward Gordon Hayward left the team in free agency to join the Charlotte Hornets. The team drafted replacements for each, but how steep will the learning curve be for them?

With the Eastern Conference only getting better and a shortened 72-game schedule, the Celtics cannot afford to waste time out of the gate. With Walker’s return an unknown, the Celtics need a group now that may have to start half or more of this season’s games. Who can they mix-and-match in the starting lineup to give them the best chance to win games?