On the October 2 episode of the “Gil’s Arena” podcast, former three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas shared his thoughts on the ideal starting lineup for the Boston Celtics in 2023–24, saying that Derrick White should replace Malcolm Brogdon as the sixth man and Al Horford should be used in a double-big first five.
“That’s your 5,” Arenas said of a Jrue Holiday-Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum-Horford-Kristaps Porzingis quintet (h/t Basketball Network). “You start doing this small sh**, now you’re smaller at the guard play, you’re small at the four play, then you come in, you can sub in Unicorn and put old a** Horford in. The fu** is the difference from last year?”
The idea certainly warrants merit, with the backup point guard spot somewhat unsettled behind the 33-year-old Holiday. Horford started all 63 games he appeared in during the regular season and all 20 games of the team’s run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so keeping him in the lineup for the third straight year since returning to Boston isn’t far-fetched.
The Boston Celtics will have depth issues whether Derrick White or Al Horford start.
If Horford starts, the Boston Celtics will need to rely on Luke Kornet for extended minutes at the 5; minutes Horford himself would’ve handled in a second-unit role. Swap Horford out for White in the starting five, and you’re relying on Payton Pritchard, Dalano Banton, JD Davison, or even Tatum as your backup 1.
For Joe Mazzulla, there is no escape from uncertainty, yet this has been a defining characteristic of his coaching career. Mazzulla is not experiencing any unusual feelings of uncertainty about the future because he was brought in as a last-minute replacement for Ime Udoka, who was ultimately dismissed, during the C’s 2022 training camp and succeeded in earning his keep in Boston.
Choosing a top-flight Jays pairing between White and Horford on short notice after a controversy forced the resignation of a conference-winning coach definitely pales in contrast to that.
