Three up and three down for the Boston Celtics.
One week into the regular season, head coach Joe Mazzulla and his new-look roster are already off and running. The out-of-the-gate success — the C’s had beaten the Knicks, Heat and Wizards heading into Wednesday’s clash with Indiana — is largely attributed to their incredibly talented and versatile starting lineup.
If Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White can stay healthy throughout the season, Boston will continue to be a force to be reckoned with and one of the championship favorites.
But in the case of injury — a more than likely scenario for at least one of the C’s key players at some point — the Celtics’ depth is already becoming a glaring concern.
Although it’s an incredibly small sample size, Boston’s bench has collectively contributed just 46 points. That includes a mere eight 3-pointers, shooting an abysmal 29 percent from the field and 20.5 percent from distance.
Meanwhile, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, whom the Celtics traded to Portland in the offseason, has out-produced Boston’s entire reserve unit, scoring 77 points with 10 triples on 44 percent shooting and 42 percent from three.
Yes, Brogdon was a necessary piece to move in order for Boston to land Holiday. But the departure of the 30-year-old steady Eddie certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Take Monday’s dominant 126-107 win over the Wizards, for example. Each of the Celtics’ five starters finished with a plus/minus of at least 27. But with the exception of rotational mainstay Al Horford (+4), Boston’s bench, which played significant garbage time minutes with the game already decided averaged a -7.5.
As it stands, Boston is relying on Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser to fill the majority of minutes off the bench. The young duo hasn’t exactly gotten off to an ideal start, combining for just 18 points on 6-for-29 shooting (including an equally woeful 4-for-25 from deep).
Newly acquired Oshae Brisett has done some nice things defensively; he even earned praise from Tatum after sparking some life into the group after a sluggish start against Miami. But he, too, has offered next to nothing offensively.
The only other reserve to see true rotational minutes (although he was a DNP-CD against Miami) is 7-footer Luke Kornet, who has yet to score a single point. Newly acquired sharpshooter Svi Mykhailiuk hasn’t seen the light of day.
Many fans expected rookie Jordan Walsh to be in the mix for a reserve role, but the 19-year-old was assigned to the Maine Celtics in the G-League Tuesday after failing to receive a single second of court time in three games.
Look, it’s still incredibly early and things may look a lot better a couple of weeks from now. Others will undoubtedly be given more time to prove themselves, and the hope is guys like Pritchard and Hauser will eventually find their groove.
The lack of depth hasn’t hurt Boston in the slightest at this juncture. But it’s certainly something to keep an eye on as they delve deeper and deeper into their regular season slate. If Mazzulla isn’t able to get consistent contributions off the bench, don’t be surprised if Brad Stevens & Co. take a real look at adding a viable rotational piece, whether through a small trade or later down the road in the buyout market.
For now, sit back and enjoy the great basketball being played by Boston’s starters and the ever-reliable Horford in the sixth man role.