It likely goes without saying that any team in the NBA that is actively contending for a title is not putting garbage lineups on the court all that often. And a new assessment from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey added more weight to that perspective with his A grade for the Boston Celtics’ most commonly used lineup of Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
Over the course of 909 possessions this season, that lineup has produced a positive 12.2 net rating for the ball club.
“Smart and White make up one of the league’s stingiest defensive backcourts, and both are solid playmakers, too,” Bailey wrote. “They don’t have to expend a ton of energy on that latter portion of their games either since Brown and Tatum handle such a significant load of the offense.”
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“Throw in Horford (one of the best shooters in the NBA this season) with his veteran savvy, point center skills, and defensive versatility, and this is among the most complete lineups in the game.”
The lineup may have come together as a result of Robert Williams III being out injured, but it has stuck given how effective it has been — and anything lower than an A would have been lacking.
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