Boston Celtics' head coach Brad Stevens hasn't been shy about slotting rookie Jayson Tatum into preseason lineups as the team's nominal power forward. It's a role he's filled as both a bench player and a starter- a sneak preview of a variety of ways in which the Celtics may utilize small-ball lineups this year.
Tatum's heavy minutes as a "big" are attributable to several factors. Marcus Morris has been unavailable. The Celtics don’t have a lot of traditional big men on their roster, and perhaps most importantly, the preseason is the perfect time to play around with never before implemented strategies.