Boston Celtics: 3 thoughts on a gritty win over the Miami Heat

Boston Celtics thought No. 3: Ime Udoka getting his rotation together

Obviously it’s going to take time for a coach to figure out their rotation at the start of the season, let alone a rookie head coach who’s just starting out with a new team. But head coach Ime Udoka couldn’t seem to get his rotation set in stone over the first couple of games, leading to some truly questionable lineups hitting the floor. A quick look at the box score will tell you just how instrumental his rotation was tonight.

Arguably the three best performances of the night came off the bench. Starting with one of the more consistent pieces off the bench, Dennis Schroder continued to prove he’s Boston’s best true point guard with a 14 point, six assist outing. He’s proven to be a capable playmaker, and leads the offense with a pace and purpose that no one else on this team seems intent on doing. His ability to attack the rim helped soften Miami’s defense throughout the night.

Next was Romeo Langford, who chipped in 12 points off the bench. Langford has always offered the C’s with a solid defensive piece off the bench, but his scoring has been too inconsistent throughout the start of his career. So far this season he has been far more consistent off the bench, especially from behind the arc, and if he can keep this up he will continue to get minutes off the bench.

The biggest performance tonight though came from Aaron Nesmith, who scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting, including 3-5 from behind the arc. Nesmith got off to an ice cold start to the season, and Udoka quickly moved away from him for some reason. With Josh Richardson missing tonight’s game, minutes opened up for Nesmith, and he took full advantage of them. If he can find his three point shot every night, Nesmith will continue to be a weapon off the bench.

Also worth noting is how Payton Pritchard has taken somewhat of a backseat with the emergence of Schroder. Pritchard’s defensive capabilities have taken a step back, which is probably the main reason for him really only seeing action in garbage time. Either way, Udoka is finally figuring out his rotation, and it can only get better from here.