Roundtable: Besides Rondo, are there any other future All-Stars on the Celtics roster?


We're continuing our roundtable discussion today with a simple question:

Besides Rajon Rondo, are there any other future All-Stars on the Celtics roster?

Six CelticsLife writers take their best guess below.


Mike Dyer

I know Marcus Smart is going to be a popular choice, and for good reason. He was the #6 pick in a loaded draft, and already appears to be a fantastic defender, giving him a big advantage over other players that enter the league.

But he's not the best bet in my opinion. That would be Jared Sullinger.

Sully is 22-years-old and is coming off of a season in which he averaged 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. To put that in perspective, only 20 players hit those numbers in 2013-14, and 12 of those guys have already made an All-Star team. The other eight: Andre Drummond, Serge Ibaka, Al Jefferson, Kenneth Faried, Greg Monroe, Nikola Pekovic, Nikola Vucevic and Sullinger. Of those eight guys, only Drummond is younger than Sullinger.

My point: Sully is already producing at a level just below All-Star caliber (especially in a weak Eastern Conference), and he's doing it at a very young age. We also saw Sullinger take a huge step between year one and year two, which is usually the mark of a good player. Now obviously, Sully needs to improve even more. That 13/8 stat line needs to turn into 17/10, and his field goal percentage needs to climb (something that will happen as soon as he either starts hitting, or stops taking threes) -- but he's not all that far away from being a low-level All-Star.

I'm not saying he'll ever be a truly great player, but if he can improve as much between Year 3 and 2 as he did between Year 2 and 1 -- he might be an All-Star..and sooner than you think.



Mark Vandeusen

In all honesty, I don't think there are any players on the current Celtics roster besides Rondo who will ever be All-Stars. But collectively, odds are they will probably get one somehow. Hypothetically, lets say each of these guys had the following chances: Smart 25%, Sullinger 20%, Bradley 15%, Green 10% and Olynyk, Evan Turner and James Young all 5%. If you add that up there's only a 39% chance that none of them will ever be All-Stars, leaving the odds of at least one of them making it at 61% (tweet me @LucidSportsFan if you want an explanation of the math).

Considering this I'll choose Smart, since he's the youngest of the bunch (besides Young, no pun intended) with the least evidence against him so far towards not be All-Star worthy.



Eric Blaisdell

Marcus Smart.

I know, big surprise coming from me, but there aren't a ton of other options on the roster. Avery Bradley would have to seriously step up his offensive game to match his defense and Jared Sullinger has the tools, but he'd have to get much closer to 20-10 and step up his defense a bit to be considered. James Young has all the potential in the world, but we won't know what he truly is for a few years. Smart is already a great two-way player. His defense is top-notch, just ask Team USA, and he can do what he wants on offense. An adjustment here or there on his jumper and he's got superstar written all over him. The Westbrook/Wade comparisons for Smart aren't just blowing smoke. This guy is the real deal. His biggest challenge won't be on the court, but on the depth chart. With Bradley locked up long-term and Rondo's future uncertain, Smart could become the team's starting point guard at some point this season or next. He could also be relegated to the bench if Rondo stays. We'll know over the next year whether or not Smart will get the kind of usage he'd need to be considered an All-Star. Then it'll be up to him to showcase all of that ability.



Padraic O'Connor

Marcus Smart and Jared Sullinger have the best chances to make an All-Star team at some point in their careers. Maybe I’m buying into the hype, maybe I’m clinging desperately to any shard of forecasted excitement for The Rebuild Season 2, or maybe he really is that damn good, but all signs are pointed to Marcus Smart being recognized as an All-Star. If Rondo does leave Boston through trade or free agency, I would expect this process of becoming an All-Star to be shortened up exponentially. Individual talent shines even brighter on rebuilding teams, even if it’s only the local market that is watching.

Prediction: All-Star Starter (Fan selected)

Jared Sullinger will enter his third year in the NBA this season and has shown nothing but growth and promise during his first two seasons in Boston. As he continues to mature and emerge as a building block for the Stevens Era Celtics, he’ll work his way into All-Star conversations. Sullinger has been compared to, played effectively against, and impressed All-Star caliber players already, so it’s only a matter of time until he is recognized as one.

Prediction: All-Star Reserve (Coach selected)



Matt Richissin

I think it's limited to Marcus Smart, and with the sheer amount of young guards in the East right now, even that could be a stretch.

Don't kid me, I think Smart is going to be an excellent NBA player and I'm really, really excited to see the impact he can have on this team (especially if he can defend the small forward position, which I'm inclined to believe he can).

But, and Kyle Lowry's an excellent example of this, I don't think what he does on the court will catch the deserved attention of the All Star Voters.



Matty Mackay

Marcus Smart: He’s going to take the league by storm; he’ll hit the court running. The ceiling on this kid is sky high, I think Smart will be the next “guy” for the C’s. Is it too soon to say that Smart going to be better than Rondo? #CallingMyShot

Dark horse for making the All-Star team could be Sully, he might sneak on as a reserve if he continues to be a good numbers on a bad team guy and/or there is an injury of some kind to a bigger All-Star.


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