Celtics Rumors: Robert Williams III Expected to Start vs. Embiid, 76ers in Game 6

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is reportedly shaking up his starting lineup for Thursday’s Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Robert Williams III is expected to start Thursday’s potential elimination game alongside Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, according to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania.

The move will bump Derrick White to the bench.

This will mark Williams’ first start of the 2023 postseason. He was Boston’s starting center during the 2022 NBA Finals under former head coach Ime Udoka, but Mazzulla has taken a different route this year as the team has put more of a priority on offense and three-point shooting.

According to Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Mazzulla is making the switch to Williams “to improve the Celtics’ presence around the rim against 76ers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden.”

The Celtics have largely allowed the 76ers to control the glass on both ends of the court, which is part of the reason why they lost a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday night. Philadelphia outrebounded Boston 49-36.

Williams has been solid off the bench for Boston this postseason, averaging 6.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks in 11 games while shooting 88.6 percent from the floor. His 6’9″, 237-pound frame should also help the Celtics better contain Embiid on the boards.

The Celtics also must improve their shooting in Game 6 to force a Game 7 back in Boston. In Game 5, they shot just 39.8 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from deep. For comparison, they shot 47.5 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from beyond the arc during the regular season.

To help kickstart the offense, Mazzulla is also planning to give Payton Pritchard some more playing time in Game 6, according to Charania. Pritchard has appeared in just four playoff games this year, averaging 4.0 points and 1.0 assists in 5.5 minutes per contest.

The 25-year-old played in 48 regular-season games, averaging 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.

If the Celtics force a Game 7, that matchup will be played on Sunday at TD Garden. The winner of the series will go on to face either the New York Knicks or Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.