#1 A unique model of Tatum
A typical theme this season has been to query Jayson Tatum’s scoring manufacturing. Everyone is aware of he’s able to being among the many league leaders in factors per sport. And all of us got here into the season questioning how lengthy it might take to see Tatum report his first 50-point sport of the season. That hasn’t been his position this 12 months, although.
As a substitute, Tatum has been an elite-level level ahead. He’s been at his finest when orchestrating play, controlling the glass and attacking mismatches within the put up. That doesn’t imply he can’t dominate as a main offensive possibility. It simply signifies that with the expertise on the Celtics roster, Tatum hasn’t wanted to be the “alpha” within the common sense of the phrase. Nevertheless, he has been producing “alpha” performances otherwise.
But, Tatum’s position was adjusted with Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis each out of the rotation towards the Utah Jazz. All of a sudden, a Utah workforce that’s ranked twenty ninth within the NBA needed to attempt to cease one of the crucial skillful scorers within the NBA when he was tasked with spearheading the offense. Powerful occasions.
This was Tatum’s first bucket. That is who he’s now. He’s a pressure when driving the lane. He’s robust sufficient to dislodge, or on this case dismiss, his defender, and he’s very happy to blow up across the rim.
One other factor that Tatum does properly as of late is rating out of the pick-and-roll — as each a ball-handler and the screener. You’re simply as more likely to see Tatum be the “popper” in a pick-and-pop as you’re to see him snaking his dribble over a display screen because the ball-handler. That type of versatility can provide defenses nightmares. How are you going to guard a participant that cycles between being the screener and the screenie?
Right here he’s because the “popper.”
Because the curler.
And because the ball-handler.
Whenever you think about his skill to function as a catch-and-shoot risk and his dominance within the put up, it’s arduous to poke holes in Tatum’s offensive skillset. He’s genuinely one of the crucial pure scorers within the league. The distinction is that he expanded his sport to be greater than only a scorer, and that has led him into some very deep waters.
Some nights, the Celtics want the high-scoring model of Tatum. Most nights, they want the whole ahead model, that’s the participant we’ve seen all season, and that’s the participant we’ll see throughout the playoffs.
#2 Kornet retains Kornet’ing
One other post-All-Star sport, one other strong evening for Luke Kornet. He stepped into the Celtics beginning lineup towards the Jazz. Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis had been each on the harm report.
What I like about Kornet’s sport is that he’s discovered a method to exist on the perimeter regardless of not being a three-point risk. He’s embraced a task as a hand-off hub and a screen-and-roll massive, whereas he’s additionally bettering together with his work on the offensive glass.
Kornet has change into extremely comfy initiating hand-offs across the elbow prolonged and might orchestrate empty-side DHOs from comparable places, too. His measurement and body make him a tough physique to navigate for the chasing protection, permitting him to spring the ball receiver free after handing the ball off. From there, Kornet has proven a capability to stream right into a secondary display screen to roll to the rim.
On offense, Kornet primarily will get his buckets out of rim-runs and curler conditions. Nevertheless, his baseline reduce towards Utah was a stunning growth that made me sit up and take discover.
Kornet’s contract expires on the finish of the season, and he’ll change into an unrestricted free agent. If he continues to offer worth as Boston’s third massive within the rotation and exhibits a various skillset inside a five-out offense that thrives on movement, there’ll little question be some groups lurking in the summertime.
#3 Oshae Brissett’s minutes had been good
Like, actually good. Brissett has carved out a pleasant area of interest position for himself with the Celtics. He’s an vitality man who causes havoc together with his hustle and physicality. No rebound is protected when Brissett is crashing the glass. No reduce or driving lane is open, both.
Whenever you take a look at the boxscore, as I needed to yesterday, it might have been straightforward to imagine that Brissett had a comparatively quiet evening. That’s why I don’t like wanting on the field rating and asking it to color an image. The teachings are taught on the court docket. Brissett was impactful. He elevated the Celtics’ on-ball strain, fought for unfastened balls, and galvanized his workforce.
Personally, I’m not anticipating to see a lot Brissett as soon as the postseason begins. Not except the Celtics must jolt of vitality to get again right into a sport or halt a run. But, understanding he’s on the bench and might make his presence felt immediately is a consolation blanket that each contending workforce must have. Brissett isn’t an enforcer, however his physicality, vitality and explosiveness can provide the Celtics a distinct dimension when wanted.
#4 One other take a look at Tillman
We have not often seen him since Xavier Tillman was acquired earlier than the February 8 commerce deadline. Nevertheless, with Horford and Porzingis each sidelined, we did get one other prolonged take a look at the versatile massive man.
Total, Tillman performed his position properly. He occupied the proper spots on the ground. He discovered success as a screener. Displayed some physicality within the paint. Secured rebounds on each ends of the court docket. And he drained a 3.
Tillman has the ability set to imitate Horford’s position throughout the rotation. He’s not going to be as dependable from the perimeter by way of scoring. Nonetheless, his positioning, defensive versatility, and physicality within the paint will assist spell the veteran’s minutes when wanted.
Whether or not Tillman cracks the playoff rotation or is used as a situational massive stays to be seen. It might seem he’s able to excelling in both position. Nevertheless, with Kornet forward of him within the rotation, it’s arduous to see the place Tillman’s minutes would come from if he wished constant enjoying time this season.
Nonetheless, the expertise is there, and he performs a cerebral model of basketball. If Joe Mazzulla needs to combine him into the rotation, there’s little question he would discover a method to make it work.
#5 A lot of nook actions
The Celtics have explored a number of methods to assault out of the corners this season. They’ve run stagger actions for shooters to elevate out, a number of variations of “Zoom” actions, some “21” and a few “Pistol,” and a few low-angle pick-and-roll offense.
But, the commonest means the Celtics have pressured the protection is by operating empty-side (or empty-corner) units. If there’s no shooter within the nook, there’s no protection, both, thus creating extra room to drive or to stream right into a tough-to-contest jumper.
The above clip is form of a failed instance. Payton Pritchard rejects the display screen from Tillman and decides to isolate. Nevertheless, the spacing within the robust facet nook is obvious to see. It’s evident how straightforward these sort of actions will be to control, particularly when you’ve spacing across the perimeter.
We will see the Celtics going again to an empty nook motion within the above clip. This time, Tatum can duck right into a post-up following his display screen. Once more, the Celtics can exploit the extra house by not having a shooter within the nook. Tatum’s shot does not fall, however the general course of is one we’ve seen work all through the season.
Boston moved away from attacking empty corners as a core a part of its technique earlier within the season. I like the thought of iterating by means of its playbook and completely different offensive approaches because the postseason attracts close to. For me, the Celtics’’ taking pictures and slashing expertise make attacking empty sides a logical alternative. I’d count on to see extra of this within the coming weeks.
#6 Dunker spot Jrue, once more
To start with, it was superior seeing Jrue Vacation flash some off-the-dribble creation towards Utah. He was robust to include when driving into the protection and trying to make reads as soon as the Jazz appeared to break down. Right here he’s penetrating off the bounce earlier than hitting Sam Hauser to finish the “Spain PnR” motion.
But, as I’ve mentioned at a number of occasions this season, it’s Vacation’s upside as an inverted dunker spot risk that continues to catch my consideration.
Vacation is an clever participant. He reads the sport properly, can see the ground like a playmaker, and might function at a number of positions. That’s why having him occupy the dunker spot in possessions just like the above is so intriguing. Watch how he relocates to the robust facet dunker to “quick” the pick-and-roll and obtain the go from Tatum. That enables Vacation to hit the contact go to the rolling Kornet for the dunk.
This season, we haven’t seen the Celtics run a lot “quick” motion. Often, Vacation would come greater up the ground for these kind of units. Nevertheless, his worth within the dunker spot as a passer, choice maker and scorer makes it logical to maintain him hovering across the baseline.
#7 An aggressive D-White
With so many members of the Celtics rotation lacking, White stepped right into a secondary offensive position. He ended the sport with 24 factors, hitting 7-of-11 from deep. It’s been some time since we’ve seen White enjoying with this form of pressure and aggressiveness on offense. At occasions, it felt just like the Jazz had been struggling to include him.
With a much bigger concentrate on scoring the ball, we didn’t see a lot of White’s playmaking skill — that accountability fell to Vacation.
It is no secret that White can iterate by means of completely different roles throughout a sport. Irrespective of his concentrate on offense, he’ll at all times be a dependable defender — as displayed by his three blocks towards Utah.
After the sport White mentioned that he got here into the sport with the mindset of simply “letting it fly.” That technique appeared to work. I’m not too positive about Kornet’s La La Land joke, although.
#8 Pritchard’s eye take a look at didn’t match the stat sheet
On the stat sheet, Pritchard had a troublesome evening. He went 3-for-12 from the sector and 2-for-9 from the perimeter. He didn’t actually make an impression as a playmaker or a rebounder. But, when watching the sport, his skill to alter the tempo, cycle by means of his gears and push the tempo on the break gave Boston an edge off each missed shot.
Pritchard can be actually good at recognizing when to get off the ball and relocate, which permits him to maintain the Celtics’ spacing alive and use his deep taking pictures vary to generate gravity. On paper, Pritchard had a troublesome evening towards the Jazz. Nevertheless, he performed his position properly, impacting the sport in areas that don’t seem on the stat sheet.
It might not have been his finest efficiency, however it was removed from his worst.
I’ll go away you with this nice clip of Pritchard utilizing a “gradual step” behind the again crossover to cook dinner his defender in transition and open up a lane to assault the rim. Actually fairly stuff.
#9 No room for Neemy
With Horford and Porzingis each out, and Kornet transferring into the beginning lineup, I had type of anticipated Queta to fit right into a third-big position. Nevertheless, Mazzulla opted to stay with Kornet and Tillman all through the sport, leaving the two-way middle as the one DNP-CD of the sport for the Celtics.
Jaden Springer, Svi Mykhailiuk and JD Davison all bought some enjoying time. I’ve been skeptical relating to any potential minutes for Neemy for the reason that addition of Tillman. Seeing him caught on the bench when the first middle rotation has been chopped and adjusted was a reasonably telling signal.
#10 These video games are a formality
At this level within the season, with the primary seed all however assured, these video games are a formality. We all know it. The workforce is aware of it. The remainder of the league is aware of it. But, the Celtics should undergo the method.
I like having a stretch on the finish of the season to work on issues and look to tighten up some facets of the offense and protection. I additionally like that different groups are nonetheless preventing for one thing, forcing the Celtics to stay targeted and proceed chipping away at a possible 60-win season.
Nonetheless, the playoffs shall be right here earlier than we all know it. That is the calm earlier than the storm. That is the prequel to a possible blockbuster film. And we’re right here for all of it.
Wanting forward
The Celtics are again in motion on Wednesday. They’ll have a rematch towards the Phoenix Suns. This time, the sport shall be on the TD Backyard. I’m to see how the Celtics look to restrict Pheonix’s offense, as they are going to undoubtedly be trying to even the season sequence.
Hopefully, the Celtics rotation shall be again at full energy, with Porzingis being the participant I’m most hopeful to see after his three-game (and counting) absence. Win or lose, we shall be again right here on Friday morning to dissect the sport. Hopefully, we shall be speaking in regards to the Celtics fourth straight win. How rapidly issues change.
