Ime Udoka's voice rang hoarse in his press conference shortly after the Celtics' devastating 111-103 loss to the Heat on Friday that forced a Game 6. The yelling through a playoff crowd, back-and-forth with officials and perhaps even his parting statement with the team left him nearly without a voice. How many more times could he tell Boston to not turn the ball over, anyway?
Entering a Game 7 on Sunday where the Celtics and Heat have fully learned each other, it won't be significant adjustments that decide who faces the Warriors in the NBA Finals. Last round the Bucks and Celtics' final meeting came down to the game of Grant Williams' life, hitting seven three-pointers on 18 tries. Whichever team executes what it's done best so far in this series will win.
So it's easy to imagine Derrick White stepping into the hero role, given the matchups, the Celtics' needs and how Friday's Game 6 already played out. White scored 22 points with five assists on 7-for-14 shooting. Even if Udoka doesn't have any counters to surprise Erik Spoelstra with in Miami, unlocking White as a scorer late in this series already stretched and challenged the Heat and Miami hasn't found an answer yet for the guard in the two-man game and short roll actions into the post area.
"You just have to have ultra awareness on the weak side," Spoelstra said before Game 6. "It's almost like you have to visualize (White's) a 7-footer. You'd never allow a 7-footer to go untouched through the lane. So it's just a different dynamic, and we've been able to manage that before. Most teams eventually do get to that against us, particularly in the playoffs. We just have to be better with it."
If the Heat offered any answer to White as a roller after he scored 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting in Game 5 with an additional five assists, they did so by minimizing Duncan Robinson's minutes. Miami played him for five minutes in the win, keeping Dewayne Dedmon off the floor again and ramping up Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and P.J. Tucker's minutes alongside spot Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin runs since Tyler Herro sat out injured again.
The Heat tried to make themselves less exposable defensively in the half court, especially as they moved back toward disruptive switching and tried to turn the Celtics over. Udoka initially turned toward White for more screening action in this series to pull Miami's guards into actions when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown shared the floor with him. Udoka saw the Celtics struggling to create the same advantages behind the defense in Game 6 that they did in Game 5. White's floater game and quick decision-making both proved natural fits for a roller in Boston's last win, despite the guard telling BSJ at shootaround on Friday he didn't have much experience before Boston playing the short roll game.
"Poor defender," Udoka said pre-game, alluding to the Celtics' targets on the Heat defense like Robinson. "It's an advantage for (White) and having two guys like Jayson and Jaylen draw a lot of attention, the others will be recipients of some poorer defenders. They do things to protect the other guys when you try to attack them, Jayson and Jaylen as a screener. So we like to put others in that position and see how they're going to defend it. A lot of times, those guys slipping out, Marcus has been really good at it, Derrick's picked it up pretty quickly, but a lot of times they're coming two to the ball. You just have to make the pocket pass and have numbers behind it. (White's) really good at that."
That eye for White's potential in the pick-and-roll, and noticing how the Heat covered White in a way conducive to unlocking that area of the court ramped the guard up above eight screens per game entering Game 6, according to Kevin O'Connor, and the Celtics have finished eight plays with White as a roller after running too few to even qualify statistically in that area in the regular season, possibly as few as 0. He finished 12 pick-and-rolls in 2019-20, the most of his career.
It's a welcome shift closer to the basket for White, who was also put in more active positions to play a two-man game with Tatum when Marcus Smart went down earlier in the series. White had been shooting 33.8% from the field and 23.7% from three, taking 2.9 of his 5.9 shots per game behind the three-point line. That shifted to 5.7 out of 12 attempts over the last three games, a more aggressive overall approach with 63.5% efficiency on his two-point shot that's helped bump his three-point shooting up slightly to 29.4%. He's also starting to draw free throws in the role.
"I didn't do too much of that before I got here. Maybe a little bit with DeMar," White told BSJ at shootaround. "I know they're hedging, trapping, or doing whatever to JT and JB, so just trying to be available. Then when I get it in the middle, just make the right play whether they step up, make the right pass, or if they don't, try to make the shot."
White initially stepped into his screener role when Smart went down with an ankle injury in Game 3. White trying to step into the pick-and-roll creator position the Smart thrived in didn't work as well, White struggling to create separation or gravity above the arc. Now, with both back in the lineup, chasing Miami into smaller lineups and trying to maintain ball control, the most subtle adjustment Boston's players can make is trusting the two guards more to make the right play. Smart is posting a 3.25 assist-to-turnover ratio in this series and White a 2.63, compared to 1.06 for Tatum and 0.79 for Brown.
The Celtics stand past the point of implementing drastic chances like implementing Robert Williams III back into the facilitating game. Udoka, love it or hate it, isn't going to slow the game down to call plays for Brown and Tatum just because the team got sloppy. There's a certain level of pace Boston wants to maintain in the half court, and trusting the guards to set that tone is the most sure-fire way to control the possession, create advantages for Brown and Tatum closer to the basket and easier shots for the guards too.
Smart didn't risk the same pocket passes Tatum turned over trying to find White earlier in the series, while Tatum's turnovers are largely stemming from bad decisions like throwing the ball into space where Miami can pick it off. Brown's problem was dribbling again, after he worrisomely didn't accept responsibility for the turnover flood in Game 5 that nearly cost the Celtics then.
Smart took nine threes and missed nine in Game 6, a product of his off-ball role while Brown and Tatum squandered possessions on it. It's not the ideal shot for White either, but with a trip to the Finals on the line someone needs to take it. White made three in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics gave the ball back to the Heat when it mattered most.
"It depends on who's guarding you. What coverage they're in, and also depending on the series. When a guard may be on you, you may have to hit low and roll and get under, out and be able to create for others. Sometimes you might have to stick a screen because they're not trying to switch and they're not necessarily showing," Grant Williams told BSJ. "It's based off of coverages really. Maintaining matchups, so it gives (White) the opportunity to create, be a playmaker, him and Smart have done a great job with it most of the year when we've gone into our smaller actions. So whether that's through scoring, whether that's through playmaking for others or getting actions and the defense moving, they've been doing a great job of that. We've got to continue that as these playoffs go on."
Here's what else happened in the playoffs last week ...
Miami (tied 3-3 vs Boston): It's unclear if they'll have enough gas to reach the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler fought through an evident knee ailment to score 47 points on 16-for-29 shooting and save the Heat's season in Boston. It was a performance that surpassed LeBron James' nearly 10 years to the day of the Game 6 that changed James' career and set up the Heat's 2012 title. This group is stumbling to the finish line in the east, with Kyle Lowry scoring 0 points in Game 5, Tyler Herro missing the past two games with a groin injury and Max Strus and Bam Adebayo struggling to score on Boston. That changed on Friday, the Heat riding 18 Celtics turnovers to 111 points and giving themselves a chance at home on Sunday. It'd be a remarkable achievement for a group that nearly the entire NBA world ruled out after their ugly Game 5 loss in Miami where they shot 7-for-45 from deep. They'll get three days off if they can sneak past Boston one more time.
Golden State (won 4-1 vs. Dallas): Thrilled to clinch their sixth NBA Finals appearance over the last eight seasons, matching Michael Jordan's Bulls run during the 1990s with the two years off coming late in the run. Klay Thompson's injuries defined the layoff, making his 8-for-16 three-point shooting in the Game 5 clincher against the Mavericks all the more fulfilling. For a team that's won three championships already, the past two years outside of the playoffs filled with injuries, losses, youth development and other setbacks rejuvenated this group. Kevon Looney emerged as a rebounding force through their run, Andrew Wiggins found his defensive game, Jordan Poole shot 63.6% in the west finals, but this is still Steph Curry's show -- 43.9% from deep earning the first western conference MVP award. His first Finals MVP, which eluded him through the first three runs, could be next as the beat-up Celtics and Heat play once more on Sunday while the Warriors get one week of rest. Golden State gets home-court advantage over either, with the NBA Finals beginning June 2.
Dallas (lost 1-4 vs. Golden State): A west finals run qualifies as a smash hit for Jason Kidd in his first year coaching Luka Doncic and company with the Mavericks. The resounding loss to the Warriors raised questions about Doncic's defense, as did round two before Phoenix collapsed, along with contributors like Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Davis Bertans whose effectiveness waned as the series progressed. It's hard to imagine Jalen Brunson not having outplayed his role in Dallas while Spencer Dinwiddie and recently-extended wing Dorian Finney-Smith bolstered the Mavs' back court. There does feel like there's a missing piece here, most likely a rim-running big man, but wing depth wouldn't hurt here either. Dallas walks away disappointed they couldn't attack the paint until Game 4 effectively and couldn't bury open threes as they fell to 36.8% from deep after converting 39.9% against the Suns.
Around the league this week...
Atlanta: Unsurprisingly, the Hawks are expected to be among the most active teams this offseason after their disappointing fall from the east finals to first-round exit, according to Jake Fischer. John Collins, Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari were shopped before the deadline, Fischer writes, and everyone except Trae Young could be moved this summer.
Brooklyn: A bombshell story from Kristian Winfield forecasted the potential full downfall of the Nets in a world where Kyrie Irving departs this summer and Kevin Durant, despite signing a long-term extension last summer, wouldn't be far behind. Durant and the Nets reportedly haven't talked since the season ended. The piece also outlines Irving's unwillingness to accept a one-year deal and Brooklyn not wanting a long-term contract.
Chicago: DeMar DeRozan's prominence, named Second Team All-NBA last week, could be a factor in Zach LaVine's willingness to explore free agency this summer. Fischer previewed the star's summer, signaling that a return to the Bulls remains the most likely scenario, but the Trail Blazers and Spurs provide him opportunities to team up with Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray.
Cleveland: Collin Sexton and the Cavaliers could enter free agency apart on a deal, as Chris Fedor reports the guard is seeking over $18-million annually. That's high for a team that'd use him in a complementary role after Darius Garland emerged as the team's centerpiece in his absence, but it could potentially help the team's search for wing depth.
Denver: Tim Connelly, the architect of this Nuggets team, officially left to lead the Timberwolves this week as Nikola Jokic prepares to sign his five-year, $260-million super max contract. Calvin Booth will take over, working under Connelly and now-Bulls GM Arturas Karnisovas since 2017. Booth played a crucial role in signing Monte Morris to an extension and acquiring Aaron Gordon from the Magic in 2021.
Detroit: Among the teams most linked to Deandre Ayton as he prepares to enter free agency, and given their cap space and trade assets there's reason for the two sides to be intrigued by each other.
Houston: As the Rockets prepare to cycle in another class of young players, they'll face more urgency deciding Christian Wood's future entering his contract season. Wood grew frustrated at times through the Rockets' last-place season and interest remains around the league in trading for the big man. Houston balked at it during the trade deadline.
Lakers: Officially hired Bucks assistant Darvin Ham to replace Frank Vogel as the Lakers' head coach, Ham's first head coaching opportunity after four seasons and a championship on Mike Budenholzer's staff in Milwaukee.
New Orleans: Zion Williamson got cleared to return to basketball this week, setting up a full offseason after he missed the entire 2021-22 campaign with a broken right foot. Williamson evidently bordered ona return in the first round against the Suns as he threw down highlight dunks in warmups, but New Orleans took the cautious approach ahead of a season where they could potentially contend in the west with Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum.
Phoenix: Deandre Ayton's restricted free agency may be the story of the offseason given Monty Williams' reduction of his role late in the Mavericks series, signals going back to last offseason that the Suns may not meet his asking price and the Suns' status as a rising power that's quietly led by an aging star in Chris Paul.
Toronto: Underrated storyline this season -- Pascal Siakam going from trade rumors last summer to Third Team All-NBA on a team that firmly made the playoffs despite Kyle Lowry's departure.
Washington: Bradley Beal is unsurprisingly leaning toward signing his five-year, roughly $250-million contract to stay with the Wizards long-term. Washington doesn't have much leverage, especially since a new contract doesn't necessarily retain him in long-term. It does buy Washington some needed time though.