Role Call for C's Wings: Reserve, Rotation or Major Role player
Jayson Tatum will look to string together a third straight All-Star-caliber season, while Jaylen Brown will be looking to go back-to-back. The rest of the Celtics wings? Major question marks.
The Boston Celtics by most accounts aren’t expected to be among the top-tier teams in the Eastern Conference, with most preseason pundits predicting they’ll finish anywhere from fifth in the East to potentially out of the playoff altogether.
But if they are to have any realistic shot at exceeding expectations, it’ll hinge heavily on the play of their wing players.
We laid out what to expect from the guards last week.
Today we look at the all-important wing position in the latest edition of Role Call: Reserve, Rotation or (Major) Role player.
Jayson Tatum (6-8, 210, Wing)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Major Role
Why?: Because he is, hands-down, the best player on the team. The 23-year-old has already been named to the NBA’s All-Star team twice, recently signed a max contract extension after averaging 26.4 points per game which ranked 11th in the NBA last season. The key for Tatum is to be more than just a scorer, but a consistent defender as well as a ball-mover. We know he can score pretty much get his shot and knock it down, against most defenders in the NBA. But his ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates while showing next-level defensive consistency is what the Celtics need from him in order to remain among the top-tier teams in the East.
Jaylen Brown (6-6, 223, Wing)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Major Role
Why?: The thing all Celtics love about Jaylen Brown, has been his ability to significantly improve in at least one facet of his game, from one season to the next. A torn ligament in his left wrist cut short a breakout season for Brown who was named to his first All-Star team and finished the season averaging a career-high 24.7 points while registering career highs in field goal percentage (.484) and 3-point percentage (.397). Like Tatum, Brown also needs to be more of a ball-mover this season. There’s room for growth in his game as a whole, but improving as a playmaker would go far in his continued growth as an above-average player in the NBA.
Aaron Nesmith (6-5, 215, Wing)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Rotation
Why?: There’s a lot to like about Aaron Nesmith heading into this season. With a year under his belt and the experience he gained as one of the summer league team’s go-to players, Nesmith comes into training camp with lots of confidence. And while was often criticized for not shooting as well as he was projected to when he was selected by the Celtics out of Vanderbilt, Nesmith’s rookie shooting numbers (43.8 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from 3-point range) weren’t too shabby. For him, improved play defensively while doing a better job of taking advantage of scoring opportunities the presence of Tatum and Brown will present, will go far in Nesmith’s chances of making a greater impact than we saw from him as a rookie last season.
Romeo Langford (6-4, 216, Wing)
Roster, Rotation or Major Role: Reserve
Why?: Health is always a concern with any player in the NBA. But for Romeo Langford, a slew of nagging injuries have kept him in the lane of potential rather than proven works. That has to change this season. The third-year wing has the talent to be a contributor this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball with his wingspan that measured 6-foot-11 when the Celtics drafted him out of Indiana University in 2019. His shooting mechanics are very much a work in progress. But on a team with so many scorers, Langford getting buckets should never be the difference between winning and losing. Langford staying healthy and defending at a high level - in that order - will determine what impact, if any, he’ll have on the Celtics this season.