Ime Udoka watched as the Celtics missed 10 free throws in a 10-point loss in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, playing Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for the entire second half and returning his starters to the floor with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Derrick White, Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard joined him on the bench, collectively providing one basket in the critical loss as Boston regressed to fourth-quarter Tatum air balls in the disastrous final frame. The Celtics' head coach, rarely one to make excuses, blamed fatigue in part for the regression from a 35-point third quarter where the ball popped.
"Third quarter, it was a lot of fun to watch, although I was off the court in that quarter too," White told Boston Sports Journal before Game 6 at practice. "It looked like we were a little bit stagnant (in the fourth), they hit some shots and kind of got us back on our heels a little bit."
White -- who hit five threes in Boston's Game 1 win in San Francisco -- faded to 27.3% from the field through the rest of the Finals and 5-for-17 from three. His minutes fell to 21 in Game 5 then 16 in the Celtics' 103-90 loss that cost them their season — never finding his shot and rolling floaters that made him successful in the East Finals. Payton Pritchard, who also struggled to get on the floor, played over White midway through Thursday's loss. Grant Williams never got going in the Finals, period. Between Al Horford, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III's inconsistency, the Celtics fell to two-deep in scoring. Tatum's 13-assist effort to open the series where Udoka shrewdly extended Pritchard to begin the fourth quarter over Smart became a distant anomaly as Boston lost 4-of-5 to end the year.
Udoka began the night of Game 6 saying he'd try not to overextend his starters again, not expecting his bench to struggle as they did finishing, 1-for-9 in the previous loss. They shot 2-for-10. The Warriors celebrated on the turnovers and mental lapses they'd forced from Boston's main contributors. While the Celtics didn't receive Tatum or Brown's best on the biggest stage, it's difficult not to look toward the load the duo carried in contrast to a deep, versatile Golden State championship unit. A strength that became greater when Udoka couldn't rely on his role players, needing to treat the series like a Game 7 starting in Game 5.
"I have to be able to improve offensively, to be able to put a little more pressure on the opposing end," Grant Williams said in his exit interview in reply to a BSJ question. "When you have the opportunity, you have to take advantage of it, and you want to be to the point where you can't be taken off the court. That's my number one thing is where no matter if you're a coach, no matter if you're a player, no matter if you're anyone in the stands, you're looking at the guy and saying he can't come off because he's making such an impact."
Williams finished the Finals shooting 30% from three and making three shots over the team's final three losses, his minutes getting scaled back to 14.8 per game. He once proved critical to Boston's ability to sustain Robert Williams' loss in the Celtics' round-one sweep over the Nets. Udoka ran a tight rotation all season, but considered White and Grant pseudo-starters who would regularly close games. Between their disappearance and Pritchard missing seven straight shots and turning the ball over in short stints through the team's final three losses, Udoka had no other choice but to overextend Brown and Tatum. They hit a wall.
The numbers on Tatum's final workload amounted to 3,714 minutes across a full season, two seven-game series and an indispensable Finals role, 739 more than Steph Curry racked up for the Warriors. While Golden State's core players outperformed Boston's, from Curry through Draymond Green, Steve Kerr's ability to experiment, hit the Celtics in waves and play different combinations gave the Warriors an edge. Some decisions, like Andre Iguodala's insertion into Game 1, failed. Others -- like Kerr's liberal usage of Gary Payton II through the early struggles of his return from a broken elbow -- flourished by the end of the series. Golden State adjusted from a larger starting lineup with Kevon Looney to small ball with Otto Porter Jr. and, from the jump, disrupted Boston's rotations. Williams III's sore knee and that wrinkle forced Udoka to abandon his starting rotation within minutes.
"The first time we've really had our team healthy all year was the first game of the Denver series," Kerr said in reply to a BSJ question. "What I mean by that is really having Steph, Klay, Draymond, Wiggs on the floor together, Gary and Jordan (Poole) coming off the bench. Looney. The first time we really had everybody together was Denver. Part of this playoff run was growing, adapting and figuring out what our best combinations are against each opponent. So it's not as set in stone as it was four, five years ago as when we kind of had a set formula, we knew our team really well. We've had to figure some things out on the fly and our players have been really adaptable during the playoffs. Once we lost Gary in the Memphis series, it set us back, but getting him back for Game 2 was hugely helpful for a lot of reasons. We finally feel like we have a real feel for the team and what's needed."
The Warriors' most significant depth became their pockets, paying $170.3-million in luxury tax alone thanks to repeater penalties, more than most teams pay in salary. Their retainment of the Kevin Durant salary slot in Andrew WIggins' $31.6-million contract became a luxury the Celtics couldn't match. Wiggins' aggressive driving in the lane, attacking the boards and being willing to pull up for shots away from the pressure Curry and Thompson demanded swung the series, not to mention his elite defense on Tatum.
The team's underbelly of youth helped the Warriors spell their aging and injured veterans throughout the season. They successfully retained Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody at the trade deadline and went on to win the title. Poole buried consecutive threes as part of a 21-0 run in the clincher, converting 38.5% from deep in the series and receiving extra attention himself defensively by the end of Game 6. Payton II hit 59.1% of his shots, with a devastating efficiency on cuts, while repeatedly stripping Brown. Porter Jr. hit 9-of-16 tries from three. Looney grabbed 21 offensive rebounds. Nemanja Bjelica keyed the team's Game 4 turnaround. Aaron Nesmith couldn't break Boston's rotation. Daniel Theis, too, proved unplayable in the Finals and will average $9 million in salary over each of the next two seasons.
"I'm not quite sure what happened this year," Nesmith said in his exit interview on Friday. "Kind of just need to take a mental break and take a step away and get back to doing what I do at a high level. I think a lot of it is not physical, it's mental, to be able to take a break from basketball for 10 days or two weeks and get right back to it will be very beneficial for me heading into next season and everything that I have to do."
The Celtics avoided the tax, kicking back potential repeater penalties until 2025-26. Josh Richardson got shipped out to San Antonio in the White deal after shooting well for Boston, and both could've technically remained if Boston absorbed White into a trade exception and ate the tax payment on Richardson's deal. The Celtics eventually converted Sam Hauser to a roster spot and packed the back end of the roster with low-cost players like Luke Kornet, Nik Stauskas and Malik Fitts who never played real minutes.
The Celtics got thinner as the postseason progressed and may not have a straight path to becoming deeper. Boston owns the No. 53 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft after trading a first-round pick (25) along with a future pick swap to San Antonio for White. The guard, described as a perfect fit by Brad Stevens upon acquiring him, had moments. Other times, he looked anything but perfect as he struggled with his shot, played off-ball as a set finisher and discussed the turbulence of the season getting to him. The Celtics will need to hope a training camp better integrates him. For all the concerns over Tatum's Finals performance, the series also showed the inconsistency of the core around him. One they've effectively locked into through Stevens' first-year contract extensions and trades.
Drafts have become deeper and undrafted free agents may provide the franchise with a young cast worth investing, developing and playing after Pritchard and Nesmith rarely appeared on the floor all season. Much of their improvement will need to come within. Udoka left the team with that message as they parted ways with the Warriors celebrating in the visiting locker room. Come back better.
"I think my first goal is going to be finding consistent minutes every night, where I can gain the trust where I can be out there for 20 minutes per night, maybe more, instead of it fluctuating," Pritchard said. "I think that's going to be my biggest goal going into next year is to earn that right to earn those certain minutes and be trusted to do that game in, game out and deliver. Shots will fall, I'll be better next year, I'm going to keep growing, but just the playing time alone will hopefully be more consistent next year."
Here's what else happened in the NBA this week...
Boston (lost 2-4 vs. Golden State): A 21-0 run devastated the Celtics and earned them a third straight loss to end the NBA Finals, an unfitting end to one of the great turnarounds in NBA history. Jayson Tatum struggled immensely to score, with the Celtics effectively three deep in scoring by the end of the series. Robert Williams III finished the series +30 and gutted out knee pain to log extended minutes, Ime Udoka signaling Williams' strength and recovery as an offseason key. The team as a whole faces a playmaking question similar to the one that began this season. Can Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Marcus Smart be relied upon to protect the ball? Even while reaching within two wins of a championship, the answer turned out to be emphatically no, but Brad Stevens won't have much flexibility to address it entering this week picking No. 53 in the NBA Draft with no cap space. Having the whole roster under contract for next season is a plus, with the team more than happy to bring Al Horford back at $26.5-million after a productive postseason capped by 19 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6.
Dallas: Acquired Christian Wood, who'll become the biggest threat at center Luka Doncic has played with in his young career. The Mavericks sent Sterling Brown, Marquisse Chriss, Trey Burke and fan favorite Boban Marjanovic to the Rockets, along with the No. 26 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. Wood, who's entering the final season of his contract at $14.3-million, still posted significant numbers through a tumultuous year with the losing Rockets. He averaged 17.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.0 BPG on 50.1% shooting, with pick-and-pop ability as a 39% three-point shooter. Entering Jason Kidd's system that vaulted Dallas top-five in defense last season and the western conference finals, Doncic and Wood look primed to create magic in year one and potentially give the Mavs the ability to return to the Finals. Their attention now turns toward retaining Jalen Brunson, which would bring a heavy tax bill.
Denver: A weird string of news followed Calvin Booth's ascension to GM after team architect Tim Connelly left for Minnesota early this month. Booth traded JaMychal Green with their 2027 first-round pick to the Thunder for Oklahoma City's No. 30 overall pick and a pair of second-rounders. Green had been a reliable cog over the past two seasons in Denver, playing the four next to Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets have options, including Jeff Green reportedly to return on his player option, but moving off JaMychal's $8.7-million contract could be a signal of financial limitations for Booth to build around Jokic. Monté Morris and Will Barton could become available in trades next, according to Matt Moore, both on medium-sized deals and helpful contributors too. Morris, a 6'2" shooter and facilitator making $9 million, would fit into the Celtics' Evan Fournier trade exception if they decide to pursue Morris.
Detroit: Face the difficult choice of wanting to move up to select a needed top prospect after losing the lottery. The Pistons, picking fifth, will need to blow the Kings away for the No. 4 overall pick if they want to get in on Chet Holmgren or Jaden Ivey, the two players most likely to fall below third in Thursday's NBA Draft. The drop-off to Shaedon Sharpe, Keegan Murray, Dyson Daniels and others appears significant. Meanwhile, Detroit remains connected to Deandre Ayton, which could be a more powerful addition than anything the Pistons can pull off on draft night. The Hawks, Pistons, Pacers and Raptors are the top suitors, according to Jake Fischer. This feels like a rising power in the East, with a strong coach on the same page as his GM and a centerpiece in Cade Cunningham.
Golden State (won vs. Boston 4-2): Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green returned to the top of the basketball world, Curry claiming his first Finals MVP with 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a closeout win in Boston. His 43 points in Game 4 will go down as one of the most important moments of his career, preventing the Celtics from going ahead 3-1 and allowing Thompson, Jordan Poole and Green to shake their slumps from earlier in the series. Green exploded with 12 rebounds and eight assists in Game 6, defiant post-game alongside Thompson, who missed the 2020 and 2021 seasons with separate injuries after the departure of Kevin Durant and the 2019 Finals loss to Toronto.
Durant's willingness to facilitate a sign-and-trade for D'Angelo Russell when he left led to the Andrew Wiggins addition, with Wiggins holding Jayson Tatum to 21-for-56 (37.5%) in the Finals while averaging 18.3 PPG and 8.8 RPG. Jonathan Kuminga (who arrived in the Wiggins trade), James Wiseman and Moses Moody give the team an underbelly of youth that's less certain, but can possibly sustain this franchise's success as Curry ages. The team's 2015 championship core nonetheless asserted they're far from finished, or Durant-reliant, playing dominant defense on the way to their fourth title in eight years. Steve Kerr won his ninth ring as a player and coach. Gary Payton II, son of the Oakland icon Payton, played a key role in the series after nearly scrapping his NBA dream to join Golden State's video room last year.
Houston: The Christian Wood trade marked the end of a challenging era that started with James Harden and Wood forming an encouraging early bond in the pick-and-roll, and finished with Harden gone, the Rockets engulfed in two losing seasons and Wood growing disgruntled by the end. The Rockets didn't receive much for Wood, the No. 26 overall pick their main return, but they've drafted well since Harden's departure and opened up a larger role for Alperen Sengun in Wood's place next year. At No. 3 overall, Houston is reportedly focused on Duke star Paolo Banchero, arguably the best talent in the draft today, a bruising, physical perimeter scorer who's already 6'10, 250-pounds at age 19. He'd be a fun stylistic complement to a run-and-gun team led by Jalen Green.
Indiana: In a similar spot to the Pistons at No. 5, the Pacers sit at No. 6 — reportedly hoping to find a way up to No. 4 to draft Jaden Ivey, but with no clear path to pull it off. The team met, instead, with Iowa's Keegan Murray, a 6'8" perimeter scorer who averaged 23.5 PPG and 8.7 RPG last season. Murray defends and would have a creator in Tyrese Haliburton to create for him. Shaedon Sharpe, reportedly sliding down draft boards after not playing college basketball due to injury, is a likely available high-upside selection here. Elsewhere, Indiana could reportedly flip Myles Turner for Deandre Ayton, while Malcolm Brogdon hasn't drawn significant trade interest. Brogdon, injured often in his career, makes $22.5-million for the next three seasons.
Lakers: New head coach Darvin Ham continues to preach optimism over Russell Westbrook's potential fit with LA entering the final season of his contract. It once looked inevitable the guard would leave after a trying season and struggles to fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but given Davis' health issues last year and no straightforward paths to offloading Westbrook other than waiving, stretching or trading him for John Wall with draft picks, they seem intent on betting that Westbrook can turn it around. A risky proposition ahead of James' looming free agency next summer.
"One thing I mentioned to Russ is the way I’m built, the success I’ve seen ... one thing we always preached and will continue to preach to be our foundation of our teams is a defensive mindset, being able to defend at a high level," Ham told Dan Patrick. "And I challenged him and he accepted the challenge. That’s a part of the word ‘sacrifice’ we use. And being able to move him around in different spaces on the floor as we go back on the offensive end. Sometimes he’s going to be off the ball slashing. Sometimes he’s going to play in the dunker. Sometimes he’s going to be initiating things. He may post up a little bit. He may be the screener in pick-and-rolls."
Milwaukee: Khris Middleton is back in the Bucks' facility, progressing in his recovery from his first-round MCL sprain that knocked him out of the team's second-round loss to the Celtics, Milwaukee GM Jon Horst said in an interview. The Bucks could potentially return to favorite status in the East with Middleton back, narrowly losing to the Celtics in seven games, who themselves swept the Nets and edged out the Heat. There's a world where the Bucks could've been playing the Warriors for back-to-back championships, but instead Milwaukee will need to pad its wing depth, with some obvious regrets evident after trading Donte DiVincenzo for Serge Ibaka, who didn't factor in the team's rotation after Brook Lopez returned. The Bucks will pick No. 24 on Thursday, a rarity in Horst's tenure.
New Orleans: Picking No. 8 overall for the Lakers this week (Anthony Davis trade) to supplement their core of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum. G-League Ignite star Dyson Daniels, Bennedict Mathurin of Arizona or mystery prospect Shaedon Sharpe if he slides are the most likely players to land here. A.J. Griffin is another shooting option for an offense that would benefit from having multiple spacing layers for Zion, though the struggling shooter in Daniels might be their best bet at continuing to form a more defensive identity, like Herb Jones helped them do last year on his way to the All-Rookie team. Offense ultimately followed for Jones, who struggled immensely to shoot at Alabama, when he got on the court next to Ingram and eventually McCollum.
Oklahoma City: Picking No. 2, they'll set the tone for the draft after the Magic seem poised to pick Jabari Smith Jr. first. Will they go for high upside with Chet Holmgren, as they've often done before? Could Jaden Ivey fit in alongside ball-dominant guards Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or would Sam Presti sell high and move back with obvious fervor from the Pistons, Pacers and Knicks lower on the draft board? That's an underrated possibility, with the Thunder already reportedly eyeing Portland's No. 7 overall pick and could potentially move lockdown wing Lu Dort to get there, which would be a surprising move given his growth. The Thunder own No. 2, 12 and 34, sending their 30th to Denver last week for JaMychal Green and a 2027 first-rounder.
Orlando: Hosted Chet Holmgren as they prepare to make the most difficult No. 1 overall pick decision in a decade, with four legitimate candidates for the top spot. It's more likely a two-man race for the Magic, who had reportedly honed in on Jabari Smith Jr. before doing what looks like due diligence on Holmgren, who boasts the size and skill of a superstar, but with concerns about his thin frame and occasional offensive inconsistency at Gonzaga. While Orlando's losing ways don't necessarily bode well for any prospect, the team's personnel did look well-equipped to transition Holmgren to the league. Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr.'s presence make it so that Holmgren wouldn't even need to necessarily start right away.
Philadelphia: Will reportedly sign James Harden to a short-term extension when free agency begins, Harden intends to play out the 2022-23 season on his $47.4-million player option. Jake Fischer signaled a two-year, rather than the four-year max or five-year contract in free agency that would've become the biggest in NBA history at $269.9-million for the 32-year-old. Harden's lack of leverage shows in this development, but also his awareness of Philadelphia's ability to provide him the best chance to win alongside Joel Embiid. He could potentially even take less than a maximum salary to allow the 76ers to improve around the pair, with a greater willingness to move Matisse Thybulle in the right move and Danny Green's non-guaranteed $10-million expiring salary to utilize along with their first-round pick (No. 23) to improve. Tobias Harris, who has roughly $77-million left on his deal over the next two years, will also inevitably be shopped.
Phoenix: Off the floor, an investigation into owner Robert Sarver's workplace culture escalated with the resignation of an employee who accused the team of retaliation after he reported misconduct. On the floor, the team will soon need to address Deandre Ayton's future, the seemingly inevitable loss of their star center likely to knock them down the West's hierarchy if they can't effectively replace him. Early candidates have emerged in Detroit's Jerami Grant, Indiana's Myles Turner, Toronto's OG Anunoby and Atlanta's Clint Capela and an array of perimeter players. Two important questions will be how the Suns and league value a $30-million center and how another one in Rudy Gobert being on the market impacts Phoenix's ability to get the best possible return. Ayton has some say as a restricted free agent, since the team decided to forego extension discussions last offseason. The Suns could match any offer to keep him.
Portland: The Trail Blazers, according to Fischer, will not be among the Ayton suitors, shifting their focus toward wing help for Damian Lillard that could come from the Thunder for Lu Dort or Raptors in OG Anunoby. The Blazers are expected to retain Jusuf Nurkic in free agency. They'll be limited in their ability to improve beyond that by only having their own No. 7 overall pick available at Thursday's draft. The hope that they'd receive New Orleans' pick in the C.J. McCollum trade faded when the Pelicans made the playoffs. Their path back to contention appears long, but it's clear the team will be aggressive in trying to improve the roster.
Sacramento: Between De'Aaron Fox's role on the ball, Jaden Ivey's reported desire to stay away from the Kings and a heavy bidding war emerging for the No. 4 overall pick, there's a case for Sacramento to take advantage of a rare moment of leverage. They've already botched enough picks over the years to the point where getting multiple chances at it and investing in known commodities from other teams may be their best bet. They've already done something to that effect with the Domantas Sabonis trade, and while the Kings aren't in a position to draft for need yet, they are in one to ask for the world if any team below them wants Ivey.
San Antonio: Reportedly targeting centers with their No. 9 overall pick in this week's draft, with several strong options headlined by Duke's Mark Williams, a physical lob threat who appears to have game beyond the narrow role he played in college. Jalen Duran of Memphis would bring more defensive and explosiveness to the Spurs, who still have Jakob Poetl as a trade piece who they were unable to move for their asking price at the trade deadline. It could be a crowded trade market at center again between Rudy Gobert, Deandre Ayton, Myles Turner and Clint Capela.
Toronto: Sound like they're at a crossroads with OG Anunoby, who's signed for two more seasons, but reportedly grew dissatisfied with his role on the Raptors last season. The two-way budding star would complement nearly any roster in the league, with Portland and Utah taking notice. The Raptors would have to decide if they want to invest in young talent (Portland's No. 7 overall pick) or add an expensive veteran like Rudy Gobert to upgrade their size. They do need a real center, but Gobert doesn't appear to be Nick Nurse's style at the position, Toronto trading a first-round pick for Thad Young, another consideration as they navigate this offseason. Toronto stunned many by clinching the east's fifth seed after losing Kyle Lowry before appearing overwhelmed against Philly.