5 Things We Learned About the Boston Celtics in Round 1

Al Horford’s role will increase

Al Horford mostly came off the bench during his 17th season in the NBA this season. At 37 years old, the move helped the Celtics limit his minutes while allowing the big man to rest on back-to-backs to keep his legs fresh for the playoffs without interfering with the starting rotation. However, after a calf injury to Porzingis in Game 4 against the Heat, Horford will now be slotted into the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. With a more prominent role, his contribution as a starter will be even more vital to the C’s success.

Derrick White is the ultimate key to a championship run

Entering the series against the Heat, all eyes seemed to be directed at the Celtics star trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis. However, one of the most consistent and impactful players for Boston during the first-round matchup quickly became Derrick White. The Celtics guard averaged 22.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 57.7% shooting from field goal range and 47.7% from behind the three-point line. White added another element to the C’s offense and helped take pressure off Tatum and Brown to open the game up for them even more. If the 29-year-old can continue his impressive play, Boston could elevate to another level.

The Celtics bench is underrated

All season long, the Celtics star-powered starting lineup was the topic of the team. However, many questioned the C’s depth and how much the team's bench could contribute in the postseason. So far, Boston’s bench unit has proved that they have what it takes to help this team win a championship. With Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Al Horford providing valuable minutes in the first round, the Celtics bench ranked first out of all playoff teams in net rating at 9.6. As the postseason run continues, Boston’s bench will need to continue to provide positive minutes, but as of now, they’re doing just that.

Joe Mazzulla has improved drastically in his second season as head coach

Following last season's Eastern Conference Finals loss, one of the most significant talking points was Joe Mazzulla’s lack of adjustments and usage of timeouts throughout the postseason. And if we’re being completely transparent, the criticism of Mazzulla’s game management was justified. Fast forward to this season, the second-year head coach has learned from his mistakes and has continuously proven that he’s improved, especially in their first-round matchup against Miami. Mazzulla had his team prepared and made proper adjustments offensively and defensively. The biggest win of all? The 35-year-old went toe-to-toe with one of the best head coaches in NBA history, Erik Spoelstra, the same head coach who exploited his lack of adjustments last year. 

Boston can win in multiple ways

One of the biggest strengths of the Celtics is their ability to throw out multiple variations of different lineups. Whether it’s small-ball lineups with Jayson Tatum at center or double-big lineups with Kristaps Porzingis and one of Al Horford or Luke Kornet, Boston has strung multiple successful lineups together. With the C’s able to match opponents' lineups and win in different ways, they put pressure on opposing teams. Boston can scorch opponents with the amount of shooting on the floor, or they can attack defenses in the paint. They proved they don't need the three-point shot to win against the Heat, and if they can continue to find different ways to win, they'll be even more dangerous.

Al Horford’s role will increase

Al Horford mostly came off the bench during his 17th season in the NBA this season. At 37 years old, the move helped the Celtics limit his minutes while allowing the big man to rest on back-to-backs to keep his legs fresh for the playoffs without interfering with the starting rotation. However, after a calf injury to Porzingis in Game 4 against the Heat, Horford will now be slotted into the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. With a more prominent role, his contribution as a starter will be even more vital to the C’s success.