What often goes undiscussed in the NBA is the value of a great bench. We spend each summer fretting about top free agents and draft picks while ignoring the smaller nuances of roster building. Those star players can catapult teams to new heights, but it’s the key role players and reserves that can nudge a fledgling teams ceiling even higher.

No team showed us that more this year than the Boston Celtics. No more than 5 minutes into their highly anticipated season, their prized free agent, Gordon Hayward, completely broke his ankle on an alley-oop attempt. This allowed first and second-year wings, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to earn valuable experience and playing time during the teams 55-win season. Those guys look primed to carry the Celtics for years, but the same can’t be said for the Celtics other young duo, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier.

Drafted only one year apart (2014 for Smart, 2015 for Rozier) during Boston’s short rebuild, the young guards play the same position. Head coach Brad Stevens was able to offset this, by utilizing Marcus as a versatile combo guard that can play on or off the ball and guard multiple positions. The two work well together, using their high energy to pressure opposing back courts off the bench and keep the offense humming at a respectable pace.

Unfortunately, there is no real security for non-stars in the NBA, even for first round picks on guaranteed four-year contracts. The end of the third year on those contracts means negotiations for an extension can begin. For essential rotation players, that means time to cash in. In Smart’s case, his pay day was delayed to facilitate the summer acquisitions of Kyrie and Hayward. His unrestricted free agency will occur this summer, but it will run parallel with Terry’s first opportunity to sign a contract extension.

With the NBA salary estimated to sit slightly over $100 million dollars, the Celtics have some tough decisions to make. If Horford, Hayward, and Irving’s new deal equate to more than $90 million, Boston will need to be very selective with the rest of their roster. It will probably require going into the luxury tax to field a deep roster. Teams in this boat cannot pay two backup point guards, not with a new luxury tax that is more punitive than ever. The team needs to pick one of these two players and let the other leave to another roster. The question becomes, who goes? And who stays?

Marcus Smart is probably the safest bet. He is currently the longest-tenured Celtic, having played all his time under Coach Stevens. He is a natural ball-handler, who makes up for his poor shooting with deft passes and remarkable hustle. Smart hangs his hat on defense, checking any position he may get switched on to after a pick-and-roll. His defensive presence was so valuable, that the Celtics league-leading defensive numbers dipped in his extended absences this year. Smart has also helped with spot starts at both guard positions when starters rest or sit for injury. Some of his best defensive work looks like this:

Terry’s story is a bit different. While Rozier can apply some real pressure on defense, it’s offensively where he has separated himself. After earning a triple double in his first career start, Terry has been submitting starter-level scoring performances ever since Kyrie went down with knee troubles. He rebounds like a forward, finishes with confidence, and becomes deadly when his jumper is on. In terms of timing, he has padded his resume heavily at a point when his value is being discussed most, with some clutch playoff performances during nationally televised games. Plays like these have earned him the nickname, Scary Terry:

So who will the team choose? Will it be the gritty all-around game of Marcus Smart (Game 5’s unlikely hero) or the volume scoring of Terry Rozier. That answer should come this summer, and will be a major decision in roster building for what looks to be a contender for the foreseeable future.