The Boston Celtics are rolling out a brand new starting five tonight against the Charlotte Hornets, a combination we haven’t seen before this season. Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta are the guys taking the floor.
Walsh’s Wild Ride: From Starter to Bench and Back Again
Jordan Walsh has been on a rollercoaster ride early this season, hasn’t he? He kicked off the year starting the first five games, then got benched for Hugo Gonzalez for the next three. Now, he’s back in the starting lineup for tonight’s game. But if you think he’s feeling good about it, think again. The man was straight up hard on himself at shootaround this morning when asked to evaluate his first eight games, telling reporters, “I haven’t been playing great.” He said the starting/not starting thing is “just kind of Joe’s thing, like he wants to try new things. Like, that’s fine.” But the real kicker? He admitted, “I’m still playing the same amount of minutes. So, I still gotta produce in those minutes. Like, I gotta do that better.” Yikes. His minutes have been dipping too, going from 18 or more in three of the first four games to less than 12 since October 27th.
Another Shakeup and the Early Season Record
Walsh isn’t the only guy seeing a shuffle. Neemias Queta is also holding down a starting spot, having taken over from Mitchell Robinson, who started the first five games. Queta’s been starting the last three, so it looks like that change is sticking for now. This new starting five is definitely a move from Coach Joe to keep things fresh, and honestly, why not? The Celtics are sitting pretty at 6-2 to start the year, even with all these adjustments. They’ve already snagged an NBA Cup win, beating the Chicago Bulls 125-111 in their first Group Play game. Tonight, they’ll face a Charlotte Hornets squad that’s trying to find their footing at 3-6, rolling out their own starting five of Grayson Allen, Naz Reid, Brandon Miller, Colby White, and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
So, tonight’s game isn’t just another night on the schedule; it’s a chance for Walsh to back up his own words, to show everyone, and maybe himself most of all, that he *can* produce in those minutes. It’s also another test for Coach Joe’s lineup experiments. Can this new combination keep the winning streak going and push that 6-2 record even higher? You know we’ll be watching every single possession to see if this shakeup pays off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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