Celtics Make Starting Lineup Change With Derrick White Out Vs. Nets

The Boston Celtics needed to make a small starting lineup tweak before going up against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.

Just hours before the Celtics took the floor in Brooklyn, it was revealed that guard Derrick White wouldn’t be active, sidelined due to personal reasons. That marked just the second time since White joined the Celtics in 2022, in which the 29-year-old missed a game and the only other instance was for the birth of his first child.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla announced that Al Horford would be moved up to the starting lineup, making his first start of the 2023-24 season.

Unlike last season, Horford took a backseat. The 37-year-old slid down Boston’s depth chart after the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason to form a new and improved starting cast to surround Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

So far, that’s only worked out for the Celtics, who enter their first tournament matchup a perfect 4-0, performing better than any other team in the league in terms of points (127), rebounds (52.3) and field goals made (46.8).

Horford, meanwhile, has averaged 5.3 points and 6.5 rebounds playing off the bench and filling a sixth starter-like role.

Boston is coming fresh off their 155-point beatdown of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.