76ers look to adjust starters based on Celts’ response to Hayward loss

The Philadelphia 76ers will likely alter their rotations ahead of Game 2 after the loss of Gordon Hayward — but how?

Expect the Philadelphia 76ers to change things up tonight when they take on the Boston Celtics for Game 2 of their first-round series of the 2020 NBA Playoffs — and as much for how they played vs. Boston in Game 1 as the absence of veteran Celtics forward Gordon Hayward.

The Butler product, who joined Philly’s Ben Simmons as unavailable for this series due to injuries to their lower extremities, is a key part of Boston’s offensive flexibility, and one of their better defenders.

But it’s not Hayward who won or lost them Game 1 so much as it was the 76ers playing into Boston’s hands with Embiid tiring himself out early.

Asked how Philly might respond to the loss, head coach Brett Brown zeroed in on what Hayward’s absence might mean to the Celtics’ approach to the game. “One, who will inherit that starting position because it may influence what we do as far as how we start the game,” offered Brown.

Perhaps he was suggesting a move for Al Horford to the bench as a center, giving Matisse Thybulle a shot at defending All-Star forward Jayson Tatum more, assuming he’s the substitution.

He may have an even more out-of-the-box plan in mind as well.

“I think everybody saw where the lion’s share of the defensive minutes were distributed to for [Jayson] Tatum and Kemba Walker,” he added, “but that’s the first thing.”

This will, of course, be dictated by how the Celtics choose to restructure their rotations — veteran guard Marcus Smart will likely soak up a fair chunk of Hayward’s minutes with the first unit, but whether that means from the tip or closer to the final buzzer remains to be seen.

“Secondly, trying to get out in front of projecting what does that mean,” he explained. “You would assume Marcus Smart as an example would have far more responsibilities, minutes, those types of things. So, just trying to look out a little bit further on both a starting lineup and the ripple effects it’s going to have on others.”

Here, the idea is where to assign Thybulle and Josh Richardson defensively — will the starters add a streaky shooter like Smart who can have more lax coverage, at least until he shows he is hot? Or will they mix in a functional non-shooter like Grant Williams or Romeo Langford?

“I think at that point, it’s all on the table,” Brown suggested.

“I’m very influenced by and large with just trying to match minutes. I thought Matisse did a great job. I thought J-Rich was J-Rich and we need them to be elite defensively on those two great scorers so anything’s on the table once we’ve learned this Gordon Hayward news.”

Whatever paths the two teams elect to take in adjusting to Hayward’s unexpected exit from the series, we won’t have long to wait to learn what it will be.

The two teams go at it again this Wednesday, August 19th at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and while Celtics head coach Brad Stevens kept his thoughts on the matter close to the hip, there’s a limited range of likely candidates.

Langford and Williams seems like they might get more run, but at least for Game 2, the obvious move is simply inserting Smart into the starting lineup while giving the younger wings some time to audition for a bigger role.

[lawrence-related id=40908,40904,40893,40894]