Boston Celtics finally release strong starting lineup for the 2023-24 season

For the first time since the Boston Celtics started Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, and Jordan Crawford in 2023-24, the C’s starting five will be missing Marcus Smart, whose nine-year stay in Beantown ended with the deal that brought back Kristaps Porzingis.

Derrick White will play point guard in Smart’s absence, according to head coach Joe Mazzulla.

“Derrick (White) will be our starting point guard and one of our starting guards,” Mazzulla told the reporters on July 26 (h/t Jared Weiss of The Athletic).

Projected Boston Celtics starting lineup for the 2023-24 season

According to NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin, White will be joined by Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford in the starting five.

“White, Brown, Tatum, Porzingis, and Horford start, then it is Brogdon and Williams the first two off the bench,” Helin prefaced before saying, “After that some combination of Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser and Oshae Brissett likely get minutes.”

Horford started all 63 games he appeared in during the 2022-23 season and all 69 games he appeared in during the 2021-22 season when Ime Udoka deployed the Dominican big man and Robert Williams III in the same lineup. It makes sense for Mazzulla to continue plugging in the pivot whenever the 37-year-old is healthy enough to play. And as Weiss noted for The Athletic, Horford’s pick-and-pop action should continue to work with that being one of White’s most effective offensive setups — and with Porzingis now in tow, it could be even more devastating.

For the first time since the Boston Celtics began Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, and Jordan Crawford in 2023-24, the C’s starting five will be absent Marcus Smart, whose nine-year stint in Beantown ended with the trade that brought Kristaps Porzingis back.

According to head coach Joe Mazzulla, Derrick White will fill in at point guard in Smart’s absence.

“Derrick (White) will be our starting point guard and one of our starting guards,” Mazzulla told reporters on July 26 (h/t The Athletic’s Jared Weiss).