Who should take Jae Crowder's place in the starting lineup?


With Jae Crowder on the shelf for at least two weeks, Brad Stevens will have to find a replacement at stating small forward.  Oddly enough, the C's don't even really have another SF on their roster (take a look at the position listings on ESPN.com).

Evan Turner is the closest fit, but he's also the backup point guard/primary ball handler when Isaiah Thomas is out of the game.  Marcus Smart and Jonas Jerebko are two other possible options:


Despite running with the first unit at the conclusion of Sunday's practice, Jerebko is an unlikely choice to take Crowder's place:


If Stevens wanted to think way outside the box he could give James Young a shot, which would allow the coach to keep his other rotations intact.  The defensive drop-off from Crowder to Young is a scary thought though.  Young might be worth a try when the Celtics visit the 76ers on Sunday, but Boston's next three contests are at Indiana, home vs. Oklahoma City and at Toronto:


So the question is, who do you want covering George and Durant?  With Crowder out, there's no great option.  My money is on a combination of Smart and Turner:


Regardless of whether it's Smart or Turner who's on the floor for opening tip (and don't be surprised if Stevens tries out a few different options), expect to see Smart, Turner, Avery Bradley, Jerebko, and Kelly Olynyk get plenty of court time together when Thomas goes to the bench:


Olynyk is hoping to be back in action on Tuesday.




Follow Mark Vandeusen on Twitter @LucidSportsFan


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