The Boston Celtics have been fairly solid in the 2023 NBA Playoffs so far, an occasional hiccup aside. But the Celtics could also certainly get better — and will need to if they want to make a deep postseason run in pursuit of a league-record 18th banner.
But what could they do to boost their odds of getting back to — and winning — the whole thing this summer? According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, more floor time for Timelord seems a plausible plan. Noting that center Robert Williams III “was easily Boston’s leader in plus/minus” at +30, Buckley says that his “shot-blocking, lob-finishing and activity on the glass are all elements that Boston can’t get from its other bigs .”
And while that’s not entirely true given a semblance of Rob’s production can be pulled out of a combination of backup and third-string bigs, it only comes together in one package with Timelord.
“The Celtics don’t need to alter his minutes to handle the Hawks, but expanding his role now could make it easier for him to take on the substantial floor time he’ll have to receive as the competition level rises going forward,” adds the B/R analyst, and we suspect that may be the plan.
Be sure to check out the rest of Buckley’s article here for the finer points of his argument about Boston’s potential postseason adjustments.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire