Barring any further changes to the roster, the Celtics will head into camp with 17 players. Two of them (presumably Lafayette and Gaffney) will be cut. They can carry 12 active players on the roster and three will be put on the inactive list. Kendrick Perkins is out till February, so he's one of the inactive spots. So who will the other two be?
The starters will include Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. It has already been established that the Celtics expect Jermaine O'Neal to start and Shaquille O'Neal to come off the bench. I'm sure there's still a chance they could flip flop, but both are obviously on the active roster. Other presumed active players include Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels, and Glen Davis.
That leaves the inactive candidates to be Avery Bradley, Von Wafer, Delonte West, Luke Harangody, and Semih Erden.
It would seem to me that the guy with the most talent on that list is Delonte, but nothing is guaranteed with him (including his contract). The other 4 guys might each benefit from some time in Maine working on their games against live competition. So it probably comes down to fit and need.
Can Harangody provide some depth at the 3 in a pinch? Can Bradley provide bursts of defensive pressure backing up Rondo and Nate? Do we need a big body in the event that one of the O'Neals has some bumps or bruises?
So which 2 players (in addition to Perkins) would you start the season on the inactive list?