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Celtics coach Ime Udoka, Derrick White, Aaron Nesmith talk postseason preparation for Boston

justin quinn
·3 min read

With only three games left in the regular season for the Boston Celtics — and all road games at that — the Celtics have only a handful of opportunities left to fine-tune their play ahead of a much anticipated postseason that will hopefully see Boston survive long enough to reunite with convalescing center Robert Williams III.

The team has plenty to think about before the start of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, ranging from how they will adapt on both ends with Timelord out for some time to which opponents they would most like to play and whether it makes sense to attempt to manipulate that outcome to whether they will be able to meet other concerns while also getting key players some rest.

Head coach Ime Udoka, guard Derrick White, and Aaron Nesmith spoke with the media briefly on Wednesday after practice to talk all things end of season and beyond, with Udoka emphasizing that “health and playing well” were the team’s priorities to end the regular season.

“That’s what I keep saying, playing our best basketball and playing well” leads to winning, according to the Celtics coach. “So, we’ll see how (the) Chicago (Bulls game on the sixth) goes and play from there.”

“It’s too much to try to determine based on what other teams are trying to do or what they will do, or where the seedings land, so it’s playing our best. And from there, we’ll determine after Chicago, what we do in Milwaukee (vs. the Bucks) and Memphis (against the Grizzlies), knowing Memphis is set and it could be resting guys that could play into what we end up doing.”

“But, we’ll see down the line,” added Udoka.

Fresh off another positive contribution to the team off the bench in a blowout win against the Washington Wizards on Sunday, second-year small forward described the team as having “very positive energy all around” ahead of the playoffs.

“Everybody’s just excited for the playoffs to come around, and win some important games.”

“I’m just trying to get my rhythm right,” added White, who has been shooting considerably better in recent games than he was to start his Celtics tenure, even hitting all three of his 3-point attempts against Washington Sunday.

“I’m just getting more and more comfortable with the team each and every game and, and just understand what the big plan is and the big picture.”

Boston resumes the first of their three final games of the 2021-22 regular season against the Chicago Bulls on the road next Wednesday, April 6, then travel to Milwaukee and Memphis to face the Bucks and Grizzlies respectively.

Days after the regular season ends on April 10 will start the 2022 NBA Playoffs, and while exact dates and an opponent for Boston remain up in the air, it likely won’t be much longer than a week from today at most to find out.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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