All right, I was watching the Celtics this week when I noticed a few things.
Whether Boston wins or not, its starting lineup is very, very strong. Granted, it’s been shuffled around so many times this season, but I thought it’d be fun to match each member of Boston’s starting five with a local high school player.
That begs the question: which local players remind me of the Celtics’ starting five?
For criteria, let’s roll with Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown in the backcourt, Jayson Tatum at small forward, and then the big man combination of Robert Williams and Al Horford.
With Smart, he’s not a pure scorer or anything, but, man, is he ferocious. You know who else is? Derick Coulanges of St. Mary’s.
On more than one occasion, I witnessed Coulanges change outcomes of games without putting the ball in the hoop. He dives on the floor, locks up opposing guards, and flies through the air for rebounds on both ends – just like Smart.
And every now and then, chalk him up for a bucket to energize his team. I can’t think of one NBA coach who wouldn’t want Smart, and not one high school coach who’d say no to Coulanges.
Next, Jaylen Brown. When I think of Brown, I think of a strong pullup game, athleticism, and a pure release.
Well, this one’s a no-brainer: Anthony Forte of Peabody.
He averaged 21 points a game this year, and did so very, very smoothly. Forte, like Brown, can shoot and drive with the best of them. It’s a guessing game for whomever is guarding him (that’s probably why he started getting double-teamed early in the season).
All right, on to Jayson Tatum, who’s arguably a top-five player in the NBA (in my very humble opinion).
Who has a strong upper body to post up, a deadly jumpshot, and an ability to use either hand around the rim? Oh, and an ability to hit clutch shots?
Tyrese Melo Garcia of Lynn English.
Man, this dude was fun to watch – and, like Tatum, he defines the word smooth. From eurosteps around the rim, to fadeaway 15-footers, or to a wide open three-pointer, he made it look easy.
Three opposing coaches told me he was one of the top two-way players in the state. Add a fierce mentality and an ability to score late in games, and you’ve got Tatum.
This next one’s a fun one, and that’s Robert Williams. I mean, does any Celtics fan not enjoy watching this guy?
He jumps like he’s on a trampoline, finishes around the rim, and snags rebounds with the best of them.
All right, I’m going back to English on this one with the terrifying Joshua St. Jean.
Is it just me, or does he play exactly like Williams? With pure scorers like Garcia and Keel spacing out the defense (just like Brown and Tatum), St. Jean was given opportunities to score and move in the pick-and-roll.
Off the top of my head, I’m not sure if he finished an alley oop this season (like Williams does once or twice a game), but I’ve seen him throw down ferocious dunks the past few months – one hand, two hands, you name it.
That one took me the least amount of time to think of, by the way.
On to Al Horford – a big player who can finish around the rim, but also shoot the lights out. He’s sneaky athletic, and spreads the floor quite nicely.
This one’s not a perfect match, but I’m going with Omri Merryman of St. Mary’s. They’re both lengthy, can get to the basket in two or three steps, and able to shoot from the outside.
And… on defense, they make an impact with their long arms and athleticism. You know what? The more I think about it, they’re more alike than I thought.
In the end, that’s what I’ve got. The Celtics are a great team, and I’ve been lucky enough to cover some great players.
To these five players, maybe you should team up for a pickup game sometime.
