Which Boston Celtics Rookies Should Make the 2016-17 Roster?

Barring any major moves, the Boston Celtics’ core for next season is already established. But roster spots are still up for grabs, and plenty of young candidates are fighting for them.

The Celtics ended up with eight picks in the 2016 NBA draft. The team has already traded some of those players, but the future of many others is up in the air.

Boston will head into training camp with 19 players and 13 roster spots all but locked up. Here is what the depth chart should look like:

Point Guard: Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Demetrius Jackson.

Shooting Guard: Avery Bradley, James Young, R.J. Hunter, John Holland.

Small Forward: Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown, Gerald Green, Abdel Nader.

Power Forward: Al Horford, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Mickey, Ben Bentil.

Center: Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller.

Boston has an intriguing roster. On one hand, the team is strong and a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs thanks to the addition of Al Horford. On the flip side, it still lacks one major piece to be considered a legitimate title contender.

The core is young, and internal growth needs to be considered. Head coach Brad Stevens should go into the season seeking a healthy balance between winning and talent development, but there are only so many mouths he can feed. Some rookies should contribute immediately, but just making the roster will be a challenge.

The Sure Thing

Jaylen Brown, the No. 3 pick in this summer’s draft, should be the team’s most impactful rookie. Even though he is just 19 and had some shaky performances in the summer league, he has plenty of things going in his favor.

Brown should see playing time simply out of necessity, as Boston is relatively shorthanded on the wing. Outside of Jae Crowder and Gerald Green, Brown is the only true small forward on the roster. Stevens slotted Jonas Jerebko at the 3 last season, while Avery Bradley filled the gap in three-guard lineups, but those were forced adjustments because of a lack of depth. That should no longer be an issue.

He is young and raw, but Brown possesses the required athleticism and a perfect 6’7″, 225-pound frame for the small forward position. He looked unstoppable in transition during summer-league play. That is an area where he could contribute immediately, according to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman:

Brown, who is a monster in transition thanks to a combination of power, agility and springs, should also embrace Boston’s uptempo pace, which ranked third in the NBA last season, per ESPN.com’s Hollinger Stats. If there is one thing we can be sure he can give the Celtics as a rookie, it’s the ability to put pressure on the rim and …

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