The Boston Celtics have been playing extremely well of late, as they have won five of their last seven to bring their record to 6-5. The hot streak has been particularly impressive because Brad Stevens still doesn't have a set rotation or starting lineup for that matter. Jae Crowder is the only Celtic to have started all 11 games, but besides him Stevens has started nine different players. Avery Bradley is a guy that is used to being in the starting lineup, but he has come off the bench the last three games, and it might just stay that way, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England.
Bradley has started 219 of his 291 career games, including his first six games this season, but he missed a couple of games with a calf injury and Stevens decided to ease him back in off the bench. With Bradley not starting, Stevens has been going with Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart as his starting backcourt, and it seems to be working pretty well. Smart has been great on defense for the Celtics, while Thomas has been their best offensive player (20.8 points per game.)
In the three games Bradley has come off the bench he has still gotten starters' minutes, and he has actually put up better numbers than when he was in the starting lineup. For that reason, and the fact that Stevens doesn't think it matters who starts, this might be the way Bradley is used moving forward.
"I don't think it matters, starting or off the bench, I just think he's a good player. Again, I don't know that he'll start or come off the bench as we move forward, but he played well and did a lot of good things and if somebody else is in that role, we'll need them to lift us like he is," said Stevens.
At this point the Celtics are playing as well as they have all season, so it probably makes sense to keep things the way they have been. They did blow a big lead against Dallas on Wednesday night, but it is hard to argue with winning five out of seven, and the starting backcourt of Thomas and Smart looks to be a real force as they complement each other very well.
