Boston Celtics: 3 X-factors that will determine C’s fate against Heat in ECF

The Boston Celtics flipped a switch at the midway point of the regular season after going 20-21 through their first 41 games played, and, since then, the proverbial bulb that was illuminated has gone on the shine brighter and brighter as the days have gone by.

From January 12th onward, the C’s find themselves sporting a 39-13 record, which was cultivated through high-end energy, tenacious defensive efforts, and unbelievable drive from the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and co. and, with these attributes, they were able to bounce the defending champion, Milwaukee Bucks, in a hard-fought seven-game series which, as a result, has Boston heading back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth time in six years.

Awaiting them are the top-seeded Miami Heat who, as we all know, eliminated the shamrocks from the postseason the last time they squared off in round three back during the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.

In this rematch, the Boston Celtics are likely looking to exact revenge and clinch their first NBA Finals berth in over a decade and, in order to accomplish this feat, they’ll need all players to bring their A-game.

Now, while it’s almost certain that how Tatum and Brown play will wind up having the biggest of impacts on this series’ outcome, we at HH believe there are a few other players, in particular, that could prove to be just as impactful on how the Conference Finals plays out.

Today, we pinpoint 3 C’s who could prove to be vital X-factors in this upcoming series against the Miami Heat:

Boston Celtics X-factor No. 1) Derrick White

Despite his down game in Sunday’s closeout against the Milwaukee Bucks, Derrick White started to come into his own during Boston’s second-round bout, becoming the multi-faceted talent that many believed the Celtics were getting when they acquired him at this year’s trade deadline from the San Antonio Spurs.

Since coming aboard, the C’s have accumulated a stellar overall record of 22-7, whilst having the veteran guard serving as their go-to sixth man option along the way.

Against this Miami team, Ime Udoka is going to need his two-way skills, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

With the way Boston is constructed, they have plenty of offensive weapons within their arsenal to go out and drop points at will but, when it comes to the less glamorous side of the ball, they only have a few players who can match up properly against some of the more quick, sneaky, and, frankly, underrated backcourt options the Heat have such as Victor Oladipo and Tyler Herro, both of whom could be argued as being their team’s own X-factors.

A guy like Derrick White is one of those talents who, with his size (6-4 with a 6-7 wingspan) and foot quickness, can stay in front of his specific defensive assignments, while his high-end IQ on that side of the ball makes him an unbelievable commodity to have in this upcoming series, especially when taking into account the two players mentioned earlier who come off the pine and have the capabilities of easily buying a bucket if not accounted for.

White could be a stellar option for the C’s to roll out and have taking on some of the more menacing bucket getters found within the Heat’s second unit that ranked No. 1 in points scored per game during the regular season.