With Season at Stake, Celtics Tweak Starting Lineup for Game 6 vs. Sixers

The playoffs are about adjustments. And in most series, the team that lands the last counterpunch prevails.

The Celtics hope tweaking their starting lineup sets the stage for a Game 6 win in Philadelphia, bringing this Eastern Conference Semifinal back to Boston for a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday at TD Garden.

According to Shams Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Robert Williams will start on Thursday, with Derrick White moving to the second unit.

The Celtics opening Game 6 with Williams and Al Horford on the floor is a logical solution to try to bog down the Sixers' offense and keep them off the boards.

As this author's written about throughout the season, as much as it's about complementary basketball, the defending Eastern Conference champions are at their best when their identity starts on defense. Inserting Williams alongside Horford in the starting five leans into that.

While the sample size is small, in the seven minutes the two have played together this series, they've registered an 81.3 defensive rating. Conversely, when flying solo, the two have often played too far back as James Harden and Tyrese Maxey step into open jumpers or find other ways to capitalize on the space they have to operate with.

Both also need to make more of an impact offensively. The Time Lord hasn't proven much of a vertical spacing lob threat in this series. Horford's coming off an 0/7 performance in Game 5, with each miss coming beyond the arc. That made it easier for Joel Embiid to camp in the paint, serving as a rim deterrent -- Boston needs to go at him Thursday and may be able to get him in the air and draw fouls on him.

In the seven minutes Horford and Williams have shared the floor, they're producing 53.3 points per 100 possessions, which is appallingly low. Despite their stellar defensive rating, it gives them a net rating of -27.9, per NBA.com.

With head coach Joe Mazzulla opting to keep Malcolm Brogdon in the sixth-man role he's been in all season, the visitors need their big men to help ignite an offense searching for a spark.

The first-year bench boss referenced both ends of the floor while discussing reconfiguring the starting lineup during his pregame media availability.

Joe Mazzulla talks Celtics' lineup change for Game 6 (expected to start Rob Williams along with Al Horford) pic.twitter.com/SSUzzMsG7Q
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 11, 2023

The hosts will help off Horford, Williams, and Marcus Smart to crowd Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown when those five are on the floor. It's paramount the former's knocking down threes and the Time Lord's making an impact at the basket.

As for White, like most of the team, this round's been a rough go. His 112.3 offensive rating is the worst among the Celtics' rotation players, and he's knocking down only 33.3 percent of his 4.2 shots from beyond the arc. He's also surrendering 114.5 points per 100 possessions and has a -2.2 net rating, per NBA.com.

While it applies to the entire roster, especially Tatum and Brown, who earned All-NBA honors on Wednesday, White, who made the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team, and has been Boston's third-best player this season, needs to perform up to his capabilities for the Celtics to force a Game 7.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Earn All-NBA Honors; Here's What That Means for Them and the Celtics

Joe Mazzulla Shares His Message to the Celtics Ahead of Must-Win Game 6 vs. Sixers

Celtics Share Their Perspective on Failing to Meet the Moment in Game 5 Loss to Sixers

Here's What Stood Out in Game 5 Loss: Celtics Falls Flat as Sixers Push Them to Brink of Elimination

Joe Mazzulla Explains Why He Didn't Take a Timeout in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers: Boston Falls One Play Short of 3-1 Lead

Joe Mazzulla Sheds Light on Keys to Celtics' Defense Stifling Sixers in Game 3 Win

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 3 Win vs. Sixers: Boston Shows Its Championship-Mettle, Takes 2-1 Series Lead

Celtics Praise Jaylen Brown for Setting Tone in Game 2 Win vs. Sixers: 'It's as Good of a Game as I've Ever Seen Him Play'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 2 Win vs. Sixers: Renewed Defensive Commitment, Three-Point Barrage Even the Series

Film Room: Recalibrating Celtics' Defense for Game 2 Against Sixers