The Boston Celtics reportedly are making a big change to their starting lineup ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.
Boston will start guard Derrick White instead of big man Robert Williams III, opting to go small after starting Williams in the first two games of the series.
Joe Mazzulla says Celtics will open Game 3 with the smaller lineup — Derrick White in place of Robert Williams — that started the second half of Game 2.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) May 21, 2023
White started in the playoffs for Boston up until Game 6 of the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The team opted to go with Williams for defensive purposes against league MVP Joel Embiid and kept the same lineup in the opening two games against Miami in the Conference Finals.
After losing both games at home to open the series, the Celtics clearly felt that they needed to make a change to avoid a 3-0 series deficit.
This postseason, White is averaging 12.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 45.2 percent from beyond the arc.
By moving White to the starting lineup, Boston will have more shooting and perimeter defense on the floor against the Heat. It’s possible the team uses White at times against Jimmy Butler as well, as the Heat star has dominated every other defender Boston has sent at him in this series.
The Celtics could be looking to open up the floor on offense for stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Heat won’t be able to defend the paint as easy with more shooters on the floor.
Williams should still see a solid role off the bench, as he and Al Horford are the only true big men that Boston has played so far in this series.
Game 3 between the Celtics and Heat is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. EST from Miami on Sunday night.
With a win, the Heat would take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
