Celtics Roll Out Absurd Starting Five Featuring Jordan Walsh Alongside Super-Team Core
The Boston Celtics are starting Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Mitchell Robinson against the Bulls, creating a bizarre but fascinating lineup.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 1 min read
Finding live odds…

The Boston Celtics are rolling out a starting five on Friday that sounds like a video game simulation gone completely off the rails. Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Mitchell Robinson are getting the nod against the Chicago Bulls.
Yes, you read that correctly. Jordan Walsh is starting alongside a newly assembled super-team core. Seeing Walsh's name sandwiched between White and George on the lineup card is objectively hilarious, like finding a base-model sedan parked at a luxury car rally. Apparently, Boston used this exact group in Games 3 and 4 of the preseason, which means we all should have seen this fever dream coming.
"FantasyLabs and Underdog NBA both flagged the lineup alert, while fans noted the surprise of Robinson starting over Queta."
Boston is coming off a bizarre 125-124 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, which immediately followed them nuking these same Bulls 134-99 just a few days prior. The rotation is clearly still being ironed out. White has been an absolute machine early on to keep the offense humming, averaging 17 points and sitting near the top of the league with eight assists per game.
The inclusion of Robinson over Neemias Queta in the middle is the real rotation wrinkle here. Anyone looking at rebounding props needs to adjust immediately, because Robinson is going to eat up the glass while Tatum and George handle the perimeter volume.
We will see if this five-man unit has actual staying power or if it is just an October experiment. If they run Chicago out of the gym again on Friday night, expect this exact same group to take the floor when Boston travels to play the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Key stats
Derrick White is averaging 17 points and 8 assists per game.
Boston recently beat Chicago 134-99 before losing to Brooklyn 125-124.
What's next
If the lineup performs well against Chicago, it will likely remain intact for Sunday's matchup against the Orlando Magic.

Key stats



