NBA
Kendrick Perkins is urging Joe Mazzulla to use Al Horford and Robert Williams in the lineup together moving forward
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated11 May 2023
The Boston Celtics have a crucial Game 6 tonight on the road in Philly. It’s a must-win if the Celtics want to keep their season alive and force a Game 7 on Sunday. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins spent seven-plus seasons with Celtics and follows the team closely. He recently made comments on SportsCenter asking Joe Mazzulla to utilize Al Horford and Robert Williams in the lineup together.
Robert Williams has played in all 11 games this postseason but has made zero starts. In the 2021-22 postseason, Williams made 15 starts in 17 games played. However, Ime Udoka was the coach last season and Joe Mazzulla might not like playing those two bigs together.
Al Horford has started all 11 games at center for the Celtics this postseason and is playing (31.3) minutes per game. Williams is playing (20.6) minutes per game. Boston’s defense becomes elite when both big men are on the court, but their offensive abilities could hold the lineup back.
Al Horford tonight:
0 Points
5 Rebounds
4 Assists
0/7 FGM
0/7 3PM pic.twitter.com/jnaAoqfMJ2— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 10, 2023
Will the Celtics win tonight to force a Game 7 in Boston this Sunday?
According to Kendrick Perkins, head coach Joe Mazzulla “has to do a better job with his lineups”. The former Celtic thinks Boston must utilize their two big men in the lineup more often. He thought it worked well for them in the 2021-22 postseason on their run to the NBA Finals.
However, Mazzulla is the head coach this season and he hasn’t played the two together as much as they had been in the past. Perkins had this to say about what he thinks Joe Mazzulla should do moving forward.
“I thought last year, Al Horford and Robert Williams on the floor together — that two-big lineup — was the best lineup that they had all season long. Why he went away from that, I don’t know. But he better get back to it.” – Kendrick Perkins
Tonight, NBA betting sites have the Celtics at (-138) to win Game 6 on the road in Philadelphia. Boston needs a big game from all their key players if they want to keep their season alive.
