Ramp to Camp: Predicting the Celtics’ starting five for 2026-27

Ramp to Camp: Predicting the Celtics’ starting five for 2026-27 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t afraid to shuffle his starting lineup.

Mazzulla utilized 23 different starting combinations during the regular season last year, routinely rotating players at the wing position while Jayson Tatum rehabbed from Achilles surgery. Four five-man combinations started at least 10 games apiece; 18 other combinations played two games or fewer.

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In Game 7 of a first-round playoff series against Philadelphia, with Boston on the brink of fumbling away a 3-1 series lead, Mazzulla boldly trotted out a lineup that hadn’t played a single minute together all season.

For Day 4 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel a question that might not have a firm answer: Predict the Boston Celtics’ starting five for the 2026-27 season.

Last year’s opening-night starting five lasted two games before Mazzulla started making alterations. Sometimes coaches land on their preferred lineup right out of the gate, but most years they spend much of the regular season trying to determine the best mixes of personnel.

The Celtics have some interesting choices to make this season, both with the departure of All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown, and the offseason additions of veterans Paul George and Mitchell Robinson.

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Our best September guess for the five that will start on opening day in Detroit: Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta.

Pritchard actually posted slightly better numbers over 29 games as a reserve (17.2 PTS, 42.9 3PT%) than he averaged in 50 games as a starter (16.9 PTS, 34.8 3PT%) but both stat lines were jarringly similar (with only 1.2 minutes more per game as a starter). There’s a case to keep him in the Sixth Man role where he’s clearly comfortable.

The pitch might simply be having another scorer/playmaker on the floor for stretches when Tatum might be off the court. The counterargument is that the Pritchard/Tatum combination has been one of Boston’s most successful two-man combos over the past five seasons while posting a +11.6 net…

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Publish date : 2026-09-11 11:54:00

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