How Will Brad Stevens Adjust Celtics' Lineup Without Al Horford?
By Brian Robb, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics have been shorthanded during the first three games of the season due to injuries, but they will face their stiffest challenges of the year this week with All-Star big man Al Horford sidelined due to a concussion.
Stevens confirmed to 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak and Bertrand that the 6-foot-9 forward will miss Wednesday's game against the Bulls as well as Thursday's showdown with the defending champions in Cleveland.
The Celtics will get some reinforcements for the contests with the return of Marcus Smart from an ankle injury, but the team remains shorthanded up front with Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) also sidelined for another week.
How will Stevens manage his lineups and rotation in the face of this glaring absence? Let's look at a few options he has to match up against a tough pair of opponents.
Start Tyler Zeller
Chalk this one up as the favorite largely due to the size factor. Zeller has not been the team's regular starter at center since the 2014-15 season, but he's one of the few reliable rebounding options on the Celtics bench. The Bulls and Cavs are a couple of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA, while the Celtics rank among the worst. Boston will need a team effort to hold their own on the glass, but Zeller at least has the size to contain the likes of Robin Lopez and Tristan Thompson in the trenches.
The downfall to starting Zeller? Floor spacing. The big man can't stretch the floor like Horford, but the Celtics should have enough firepower in their starting lineup (Bradley, Crowder, Thomas) on the perimeter to get away with it.
Start Jonas Jerebko
If Brad Stevens really wants to open the game up and adequately replace Horford's shooting, this could be an appealing option as well. The Swedish forward thrived in the starting five in last year's postseason, benefiting from the additional looks as teams honed in on Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. The frontlines of the Bulls and Cavs could beat Jerebko up on the glass, but he may be able to offset that damage by making them pay from beyond the arc.
The drawback to this scenario? The second unit needs Jerebko's spacing, since Jordan Mickey and Zeller would be the only bigs off the bench if Stevens puts Jerebko in the starting five.
Stevens Goes Small With Starting Five
We all know Brad Stevens likes to go small eventually in games, so why not start out with it right out of the gate? It isn't a bad idea, but it's a risky one when you consider Smart will be making his season debut on Wednesday night. While he's not dealing with any playing restrictions, asking for 30 minutes plus from him right away may be ambitious.
There is also the looming issue of rebounding. Getting away with going small is easier in small stints. Doing so for the majority of 48 minutes against top rebounding teams in Chicago and Cleveland seems like a losing bet.
The Verdict
The early bet is on Zeller getting the first crack at Horford's minutes, but expect this situation to be a fluid one. Luckily for Boston, they only have three games in the next seven days so Horford's concussion recovery timetable (assuming it's not overly serious) shouldn't cost them too much in the win-loss column.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
