The Boston Celtics are one of the top teams in the East and many consider them a playoff lock. Even with some praise and excitement from fans heading into the season, there are some questions about the frontcourt. The Celtics are projected to have a small-to-mid-ball lineup with Marcus Smart coming off the bench, so the question is: should the Celtics consider moving Enes Kanter to power forward and put Robert Williams at center?
The Advantages of this Move
There are some pros to moving Kanter to power forward. With him at the four, the Celtics can start Robert Williams, who is a defensively strong center. With that defensive presence inside, it gives Boston a chance to compete with teams that have bigger lineups such as the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Along with being able to compete, the Celtics’ defensive unit will be more strong as a whole, because that hole in the interior will be filled with Robert Williams’ presence.
The Disadvantages of this Move
With some pros, there are also some cons. The biggest one being: who’s going to the bench? For me, the two main guys that would be considered would be Jaylen Brown or Gordon Hayward.
With Brown becoming a restricted free agent, his motivation might be affected. The biggest problem with Hayward is his confidence. This could definitely affect their individual play and how they feel going back to the bench. This could also affect how they play offensively. If you take out Williams or Enes Kanter over Brown or Hayward, you’re taking away an effective scorer. Kanter can definitely score effectively though, as he showed in the 2018-2019 playoffs.
My Thoughts on the Move
So with these pros and cons, is it possible that this move could happen? I can see it as a possibility, but it would depend on the occasion. I think the should make the move if they know their opponent is going with a big lineup or in case of an injury. However, I think they should stick with their projected starting lineup with Enes Kanter at the five for most of the season. Brad Stevens is a smart coach and he’s not afraid to experiment to get the best out of his players. However, this might not be a case to experiment.