The Boston Celtics won the Jrue Holiday draft lottery, but it came at a cost.
The C’s had to give up Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and center Robert Williams III in exchange for the former Milwaukee Buck. With “Time Lord” gone and forward Grant Williams out, Boston’s big man depth took a hit. So, who will take the lead?
According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, head coach Joe Mazzulla told the media after practice on Saturday that the first center off the bench will most likely be Luke Kornet.
“It all begins with Luke.” “I thought Luke did an excellent job last year,” Mazzulla remarked. “I believe he is an underrated player, and I believe people underestimate his effectiveness. He’s a guy who is constantly in the right defensive position and makes the right play.
Kornet only played about 12 minutes per game for the Celtics last season, so this news comes as a bit of a surprise. The 7-foot-2 center has size and the ability to score in the paint, but he’s essentially an unknown player.
On the center depth chart, veteran Al Horford and newly acquired star Kristaps Porziis are ahead of Kornet. If Mazzulla goes with a double-big team, Porziis and Horford would join Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown in the starting lineup. If the Celtics play small, which is unlikely, guard Derrick White might fill in for Horford.
Boston also recently signed 6-foot-9 center Wenyen Gabriel, who appeared in 68 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last year. He’s bounced around like Kornet. He, like Kornet, has traveled around the league and rarely played significant minutes, but his outstanding defense and rebounding could put him in contention for increased playing time.
In terms of profundity, life after “Time Lord” could look extremely different for the Celts. However, there’s no denying the C’s built a formidable top-five this offseason.
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