USATSI_18469447 — Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Ime Udoka Addresses Potential Lineup, Rotation Changes for NBA Finals Game 6

Will the Celtics move Robert Williams to the second unit for Game 6?

Author:
Bobby Krivitsky
Jun 15, 2022 4:45 PM EDT

At this stage of the NBA Finals, with a maximum of two games remaining, the Celtics and Warriors understand each other's tendencies. That also makes it easier to adapt to any adjustments made on the fly.

Entering Game 4, Steve Kerr felt his team needed to tweak its lineup and inserted Otto Porter into the starting lineup for Kevon Looney. The latter's done well in both roles, and the former gives Golden State more spacing than when Looney and Draymond Green share the floor.

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So, is Ime Udoka considering changing his starting five for Game 6, an adjustment that presumably would mean bringing Robert Williams in off the bench?

"We take him out pretty early in the game anyway, and we can come back and match him with Looney, no problem. I think, the spacing, they wanted to have him guarding somebody more space oriented. And for us, other than last game, we really hadn't got off to a poor start. No matter what they did lineup-wise, we were good to start the game for the most part in the first four games.

"As far as that, we're rotating Rob out to get him back in pretty quick anyway, so that's not something we're looking at as far as changes to the starting lineup; it's more so who we want coming in for who of the second unit."

But through five games, the Celtics haven't received enough support from a second unit that played a crucial role in getting this team to the Finals, as exemplified by Grant Williams scoring 27 points in Game 7 against the Bucks.

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Derrick White played an integral role in Boston's fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1 in San Francisco, but since the second half of Game 4, he's looked hesitant to shoot. In Monday's loss, he, Grant Williams, and a scoreless Payton Pritchard combined for four points in 42 minutes.

So, when it comes to any potential lineup changes beyond reshaping the starting lineup and Ime Udoka making a move aimed towards getting more production from the second unit, the Celtics' head coach expressed the following.

"We've talked about it and looked at some of the counters they're trying to make with the guys we bring in; I think small ball has worked well for us. We'd obviously like to get more out of Payton and Derrick than we did in the last game. But Grant's been a big part of what we've done as well this year. We know what they're trying to do as far as who they're bringing in when we substitute, and we can combat that with some lineup changes that we're looking at."