Shane Larkin is quickly seeing his role on the Boston Celtics disappear
Shane Larkin had to know his role was in jeopardy with Marcus Smart returning, but there still is not enough depth for that alone to take him off the court. If Brad Stevens believes Larkin can give them valuable minutes, then he will get on the court.
The problem is that Stevens is having a hard time finding reasons to play Larkin right now. He is serviceable on offense, but does not change the game in any way. On defense, his size becomes a massive problem against so much length, and is the first option for the Milwaukee Bucks to attack.
He dropped down to just nine minutes played in game six, and failed to have any real impact. Against the Bucks, it is really difficult to find a spot for a player of his size, without having to compensate somewhere else. When you take into account that Larkin does not standout in any way on offense, there is not much of a reason to give him minutes.
Don’t get me wrong, Larkin has been serviceable in his role this season. The Celtics were literally running out of point guards, and he has been able to come in without disrupting too much and holding his own when needed.
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The problem is the Celtics need a more positive presence in his position. The Celtics do not have enough high end talent to carry someone that is not actively contributing in a positive way, and it is hard to see Larkin doing that against a Bucks team that knows how to exploit his weaknesses.
After playing 21 minutes in game one, he has gradually played fewer minutes in every game, hitting a new low with nine minutes in game six. That means Larkin’s role was shrinking even before Smart returned, and now that he is in the lineup Larkin is not getting anything significant.
The Celtics really do not have many bodies to put in that point guard position, but I cannot imagine Larkin behind used in any significant situation in game seven. The Celtics need to find more positives on offense, but sacrificing someone on defense would be the quickest way to blow this series.
Other options may be riskier, because Larkin does not make too many mistakes. That being said, they need more than just not a liability for all their minutes and versatility is always going to be the priority. Larkin understands what he needs to do well, but he is the least versatile player in their back court, and that is the worst thing when playing the length and size of the Bucks.
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Larkin was never going to be a top player, and it is a surprise that he is relevant in any capacity. The Celtics should be happy with the season he has played, but it looks like he is no longer going to be a useful piece in this first round series against the Bucks.