The 240 Minutes Series Explained:
In the NBA there are 450 players under full contracts to start every season. These players consist of superstars, all-stars, average players, guys dealing with injuries, benchwarmers, rookies, ring-chasers, and whatever Hassan Whiteside is. Despite the contracts, draft capital, coaching, potential, friendships, and experience that all play a role in rotation minutes, there are only 240 minutes every game to go around and split amongst the players.
In this series, we cut through all of that. Join the fun as we dig into the rosters of every NBA team and project how many rotation minutes will be played by each player to begin the season. This takes into account all active injuries and thinks about the rosters in terms of which 9-12 players on each team will actually be playing for their respective team for the first few weeks of the regular season. In addition to this, we will discuss the positions that they will be playing, why their minutes per game total is calculated where it is, and showcase the quality of the player that is allotted those minutes. The “quality of player” tiers will look as such:
MVP Candidate – Top 10 player and potential to win MVP this season
All-NBA Candidate – Top 30 player and potential to be on an All-NBA Team this season
High-End Starter – Quality starter with potential to make the All-star game this season
Starter – Quality starter and is (roughly) a top 120 player this season
Low-End Starter – Starts but is not (roughly) a top 120 player this season
Elite 6th Man – Does not start but is a top (roughly) 120 player and could win 6MOTY this season
High-End Backup – Does not start but could if needed and perform well
Backup – Does not start but is a quality role player
Low-End Backup – Could see minutes during regular season but might not make playoff rotation
Without further ado:
Where Will the 240 Minutes on the Boston Celtics Go?
Jayson Tatum SF/PF – All-NBA Candidate (34 minutes per game)
The face of the Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum, signed his 5-year max extension the beginning of last season. Despite his team’s struggles, his performance throughout the season proved that he is well worth the $195 million contract he was given. He averaged 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists last year, all of which were career highs. He then went up against the Brooklyn Nets without his running-mate, Jaylen Brown, and averaged 30.6 points per game, including a 50-point performance in Boston’s lone playoff win. Tatum averaged a whopping 35.8 minutes per game during the regular season due to Boston not having very many other scoring options. Look for him to get back closer to the 34.3 minutes a game he played in 2019-2020.
Jaylen Brown SG/SF – All-NBA Candidate (33 minutes per game)
Tatum and Brown have both progressed incredibly well throughout their time together in the NBA. Brown made his first all-star appearance last season and was even viewed as an MVP candidate early on in the year based on his explosive first two-months of the season. In December and January Brown averaged 27.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 44.3% shooting from deep. While he did drop off slightly as the season progressed, he had a remarkable year until his severe wrist injury that ended his 2020-2021 season. He averaged 34.5 minutes per game last year, but can hopefully get a little more rest with a deeper team in 2021-2022.
Marcus Smart PG/SG – Starter (30 minutes per game)
There were many rumors at the end of last season and during the offseason that Marcus Smart could be traded. Instead it was Kemba Walker that was dealt and Smart looks to be part of the core moving forward. Smart just had arguably his worst defensive season in the NBA in 2020-2021, posting his first negative defensive box plus/minus season (-0.2), his fewest defensive win shares (1.5) and fewest steals per 100 possessions (2.2). Celtics fans are hopeful that it was simply a down year and that Smart can bounce back defensively next year, as he likely has less of an emphasis on scoring. He averaged 32.9 minutes per game in 2020-2021, but with Boston bringing in both Dennis Schroder and Josh Richardson he should see a slight decrease in workload.
Dennis Schroder PG – Starter (28 minutes per game)
Months ago, Schroder turned down a $84 million contract from the Lakers. Now he was forced to take a one-year $5.9mil deal from the Celtics. He will fill in the void at PG that was created when Kemba Walker was traded. Schroder took a step back last season from his 2019-2020 season where he was the runner up for 6th man of the year with OKC. He dipped to 33.5% shooting from beyond the arc and regressed in scoring and overall efficiency but did see his playmaking showcased and he played a career high 32.1 minutes per game. While his game does have its flaws, his contract is an incredible value for the Celtics and he is a more than capable starting PG. 28-29 minutes per game this season seems reasonable for Schroder.
Al Horford PF/C – Starter (25 minutes per game)
Al is back in Boston! After spending the end of his prime with the Celtics from 2017 to 2019, the 35-year-old looks to provide experience and consistency for Boston. Horford played just 28 games last season before the Thunder elected to just sit him and play their excess of young big men. He should be a reliable starting center that is a good contrast to the extreme upside, but unpredictable and often unhealthy Robert Williams III. Horford averaged 27.9 minutes per game last season but the best part of Horford’s career is over so he could easily dip below that mark.
Robert Williams III C – Elite 6th Man (23 minutes per game)
Timelord is one of my favorite non-superstar NBA players. When healthy and on the court, Williams is one of the most efficient players in the NBA and in his limited minutes he is one of the most elite centers in the entire league. For his career he is shooting 72.0% from the field and has an average 137 offensive rating and 102 defensive rating, both jaw-dropping. In this article, I go into even greater depth: https://studentunionsports.com/robert-time-lord-williams-the-key-to-bostons-success/ The issue with Timelord has always been health. Last season he missed games with injuries to his foot, toe, ankle, knee, and hip, as well as a couple stints due to illnesses and health and safety protocols. He averaged just 18.9 minutes per game in 2020-2021 but if he can stay healthy, Williams is set to play more minutes and even make a run for 6th man of the year. If he cannot stay healthy, look for Enes Kanter to crack the rotation.
Josh Richardson SG/SF – High-End Backup (20 minutes per game)
If you ask any Dallas Mavs fan, they’ll tell you that Richardson was an extreme disappointment last season. Despite that, Richardson is a capable player both offensively and defensively with no huge weaknesses, yet no great strengths. Josh averages 12.3 points per game on 35.8% shooting from three in his career, making him a very average wing in the modern NBA. While he has started over 300 games in his career, coming off of the bench as a 7th-8th man where Richardson can be a high-end backup seems more ideal. He averaged 30.3 minutes per game last season but surely takes more of a back-seat behind Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown in Boston.
Payton Pritchard PG/SG – Backup (18 minutes per game)
Drafted with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft, Pritchard had a very solid rookie year. He was one of the only bench players on Boston who could create his own shot last season and shot a wonderful 41.1% from three. Pritchard averaged a modest 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 19.2 minutes a game last year. His role should be fairly similar to last season as the primary backup PG, who can also play SG despite his 6’1” stature.
Aaron Nesmith SG/SF – Backup (15 minutes per game)
Nesmith was another good draft pick for the Celtics at pick 14 in the 2020 draft. While he did take a while to get comfortable with his shooting stroke (35.4% from deep pre-all-star break), he shot 42.1% from three in February and 40.9% from three in April. He looks to be a reliable catch-and-shoot spacing wing for the Celtics in 2021-2022. Nesmith averaged 14.5 minutes per game last year and will likely be the nightly backup SF this upcoming season.
Grant Williams SF/PF/C – Low-End Backup (10 minutes per game)
Grant Williams would be on the all-effort team if the NBA had such a thing. Williams is an undersized big man at 6’6”, but also has the flexibility to play SF, PF, or C if needed. His shooting is inconsistent although he did shoot a good 37.2% from beyond the arc, so he can definitely be a floor spacer. Grant Williams averaged 18.1 minutes per game last season, but only 11.4 minutes per game in the playoffs. With the Celtics upgrading at multiple other spots in the rotation Williams role should be reduced from 2020-2021.
Jabari Parker PF/C – Low-End Backup (4 minutes per game)
The former 2nd overall pick from the 2014 draft has jumped from team to team as of late, spending the last three seasons with small stints on five different teams. He showed flashes of the old elite-upside-potential prospect in his 10 games and playoff run with Boston last season. He had games in which he scored 10, 11, 13, and 18 off the bench. For reference, Parker averaged 20.7 points per 36 minutes in the series against the Brooklyn Nets. While his role won’t be huge on this Celtics team he could be a microwave scorer off the bench if the bench unit’s offense becomes stagnant.
Projected Nightly Depth Chart:
PG: Dennis Schroder/Payton Pritchard/Marcus Smart
SG: Marcus Smart/Josh Richardson/Jaylen Brown
SF: Jaylen Brown/Aaron Nesmith/Jayson Tatum
PF: Jayson Tatum/Grant Williams/Jabari Parker
C: Al Horford/Robert Williams III/Grant Williams
Not in Initial Rotation:
Enes Kanter C
Kris Dunn PG
Romeo Langford SG
Bruno Fernando C
Carsen Edwards PG/SG
