Jae Crowder to start Game 4, Jonas Jerebko also? Brad Stevens might as well get nuts with his lineup


One of the changes Brad Stevens intends to make for his Game 4 starting lineup is to insert Jae Crowder:


It appears as though Jonas Jerebko is another likely addition as well:


I love both of these moves.  But why stop there?  Stevens knows he's got nothing to lose at this point:


His guys may play with urgency and desperation all the time, but now is Stevens' opportunity to try something desperate with his lineups.  Down 3-0, the Celtics' chances of winning this series are about as real as George Costanza's house in the Hamptons.  Why not get a little nuts?



What if Stevens throws Isaiah Thomas in there too?  Thomas promised to bounce back from his disappointing performance in Game 3, and he's been dying to start ever since he got here.  He is the best player on the team, doesn't it just make sense?  But the crazy part of my plan is, don't put Thomas in for Marcus Smart, take out Tyler Zeller instead.  Jerebko plays center and Crowder slides over to power forward.

Thomas, Smart, Crowder, Jerebko and Evan Turner.  As evidenced by the above photo, that lineup has been on the court before.  They can spread the floor and open up the offense right from the start.  Imagine Timofey Mozgov covering Jerebko at the three-point line, and Kevin Love chasing Crowder around screens?  Thomas and Turner should have no trouble getting to the rim.

Maybe this is a terrible idea.  I've admitted I have no clue who should be getting minutes for Boston in this series.  Going big instead of small could be the move as well.  How about Turner, Crowder, Jerebko, Olynyk and Zeller?

All I'm saying is, it's time to get nuts--because why not?



Follow Mark Vandeusen on Twitter @LucidSportsFan
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