No matter your private emotions on Jordan Poole, he can fill that time column up shortly. Watching him drill 3’s off the dribble will most likely all the time sting a bit after the 2022 Finals, however much less so after seeing the Celtics increase a banner of their very own.
On this recreation, the Poole social gathering began with a splash.
JP was an enormous purpose that the Celtics discovered themselves in an early gap. He hit a ton of three’s, ending the primary half taking pictures 6/9 from behind the arc on his option to 20 factors. There have been plenty of troublesome seems to be that Boston couldn’t have defended significantly better, Poole knocked them down anyway.
Even with that massive begin although, the Celtics dug themselves out of an early deficit with ease. For all of Poole’s success, he was the one Wizard to hit a 3 within the first half. Patrick Baldwin Jr. hit the one non-Poole 3 on this recreation with 5 minutes left within the 4th quarter. That’s not a really helpful technique in opposition to Boston.
2. Seeing double (bigs).
in Sam Hauser’s absence – whereas taking part in an inferior opponent – Mazzulla leaned on double massive pairs over different prospects.
Boston cycled by means of quite a lot of combos together with Kornet/Tillman, Horford/Tillman, Horford/Queta & Tillman/Queta. Within the early levels of the season in opposition to a workforce with none playoff hopes, this recreation served as the right alternative to check issues out.
For probably the most half, every of those pairings was efficient collectively. All 4 facilities convey a novel talent set to the desk, and it’s an incredible thought to get a way of how they may praise one another.
It additionally seems like Mazzulla needs to push the bounds of their scheme, seeing if the workforce can proceed to generate good offense with two non-spacers on the ground.
3. Tatum is taking part in like an MVP.
Washington made an effort to restrict Boston’s effectiveness from 3, and as a substitute of forcing up pictures, Tatum labored himself right into a rhythm.
He began the sport benefiting from, and taking pictures excessive of smaller defenders.
A dependable again to the basket recreation has been a particularly useful gizmo for Tatum. It felt like final season was an introduction to this model of JT that’s each snug and efficient taking part in a extra bodily type when obligatory.
His 3-ball by no means absolutely got here round this recreation, however he had a couple of spectacular makes. That included this devastating welcome to the league second for rookie Alex Sarr.
Tatum’s rebounding and all-around contributions appear to get glossed over in discussions about his affect, however it’s one of many massive separators between him and most of the gamers he attracts comparisons to. In simply 28 minutes, Tatum notched 25 factors, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Not that he would thoughts, however the Celtics greatness may be sufficient to really hurt his MVP case within the sense that they finish video games within the third quarter.
Tatum has 29 1st quarter factors within the 1st two video games. Within the play-by-play period, solely Curry and Doncic have scored extra.
— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) October 24, 2024
4. Derrick White, the stabilizer.
The time period connector has popped up in recent times as a option to describe a participant that does the little issues that tie a lineup collectively. Derrick White is among the most interesting connectors the league has to supply.
Offensively, he has turn into a constant offensive weapon that may add worth in any method you possibly can think about. White is clearly a dynamic shooter off the ball, however his means to be the screener for inverted choose and rolls is a wrinkle that the majority offenses are desperately attempting to emulate.
These days, the Celtics hardly ever must be settled down. After they do, Derrick is commonly the man to stabilize issues. It’s not often along with his voice, quite the flexibility to make the right play/learn time after time. His protection and IQ helped ease Boston into this recreation.
5. Jrue is a vet.
This wasn’t an enormous Jrue Vacation recreation by any means, actually it was most likely one of many least concerned performances we’ve seen from him in fairly a while.
Regardless of the relative lack of manufacturing, Vacation’s veteran savviness stood out on a pair of possessions within the 2nd quarter. On each events, he takes benefit of the youthfulness of Alex Sarr.
On this primary possession, Vacation is confronted with a low shot clock and restricted choices. He can both attempt to shortly take Sarr to the rim, or shoot over the 7-footer. As a substitute, Jrue manages to pry open door quantity 3.
He didn’t have the higher hand right here, so his intelligence needed to be the benefit. He clearly observed the drained shot clock, however his determination to pump faux makes it clear that he acknowledged Sarr was most likely conscious of the restricted time as nicely. He performed the person on this situation, realizing that it could necessitate a extra aggressive closeout and provides him the most effective alternative to make one thing out of nothing.
Lower than a minute later, Jrue discovered himself on an island with Sarr once more:
Jrue assessments him straight away with a pump faux on the 3PT line to see if he’d chunk once more. Sarr realized from his mistake quickly and stayed down this time. Jrue is presented an angle to drive to his dominant hand, however opts to assault Sarrs prime foot, forcing him to flip his hips. With the Wizards younger massive firmly in restoration mode now, Jrue creates house with a slight bump and sends him hovering into the air as soon as once more with the faux.
One of these grasp on the sport comes with time, and it’s one thing that Vacation dropped at the workforce immediately upon his arrival. He didn’t make a single bucket right here, however managed to flip a 3 level deficit to a 2 level lead.
6. Jaylen Brown’s emotional intelligence
Jaylen had a tough begin to the sport, ending the first quarter taking pictures 1/5 from the sphere. He took a number of powerful pictures off the dribble that had been exterior of the circulate of the offense. That’s not totally uncommon or disappointing, however the high quality of the seems to be had been low and the odds mirrored that.
Nonetheless, Jaylen didn’t let the poor taking pictures deter him. He dialed it in and was extra purposeful in his method. Within the 2nd quarter, all 5 of his shot makes an attempt got here on the rim.
Brown is terrifying in transition and as a driver within the half court docket. Having the ability to acknowledge so shortly that his shot food regimen wanted an adjustment says rather a lot about how he’s pondering the sport at this stage in his profession.
One other signal of that was this choose & roll rep with Neemias Queta:
His endurance right here to control and maintain the massive whereas additionally retaining his personal defender in jail is extraordinarily superior. Brown performs this completely and finds Queta up prime for the simple lob.
After efficiently taking part in himself right into a circulate, JB allowed himself to have one other pull-up 3, as a deal with.
7. Any purpose to fret about Horford?
The reply is a powerful no.
Horford completed the sport with zero factors and simply two FGA. He wasn’t concerned in a significant method offensively, however nonetheless managed to be helpful. That is highlighted by the truth that he completed the sport as a +17. In lots of circumstances +/- doesn’t inform the entire story, however for Horford it’s an correct portrayal of contributing in ways in which don’t all the time present up on the field rating.
Take a possession like this for instance:
Horford units a superb display that utterly wipes Pritchard’s defender out of the play. He isn’t credited with an help, however you possibly can argue that his display is deserving of 1 contemplating it leads on to a large open look.
He chipped in with a couple of rebounds to assist end off possessions, and had his moments defensively.
In his 18th season, it’s as essential as ever to ensure that Horford’s workload is manageable. If there’s nights like this all through the common season the place little or no output is required from him, that ought to solely be seen as a constructive. Having three succesful facilities behind him, ought to proceed to be an enormous increase for him as nicely.
8. Flashes of Queta
As beforehand talked about, it’s a significant plus that Boston can trot out 4 high quality bigs whereas their borderline all-star heart rests up. Queta performed slightly below 14 minutes on this recreation, however it was stuffed with glimpses of the kind of contributor the Celtics are hoping to assist mildew him into.
Queta makes a ton of vitality performs, and has a excessive motor in terms of chasing offensive rebounds. Gaining further possessions on the glass is one thing that any workforce would recognize.
I discover it helpful to be aware of possessions like that the place he’s matched up with a reliable NBA heart and is ready to get the most effective of them. The protection is a piece in progress and extra recreation time ought to assist him develop, however there have been nonetheless a couple of events the place he got here up with a cease on Valančiūnas.
Now that he’s in Boston full-time, his position will solely improve if he’s capable of stack up performances like this.
9. Payton Pritchard’s Sam Hauser impression
After an inefficient recreation one, Payton Pritchard returned to his common sharpshooting self.
There was a Sam Hauser sized gap within the rotation, and Pritchard stuffed it. 3PT taking pictures isn’t unique to Hauser, however the kind of seems to be that Payton acquired tonight had been harking back to Sam’s typical shot varieties.
It was a heavy dose of motion taking pictures and screens on the way in which to 5 made 3’s for Pritchard. Among the finest seems to be of the evening was a stagger display from Vacation and Kornet to free him up.
10. Scheierman’s first NBA factors
With the departures of Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk, rubbish time is in want of a brand new hero. In the mean time, it seems to be like this may very well be Baylor Scheierman’s alternative to shine.
He was off on a pair of three’s, however secured his first NBA bucket on a transition layup that was sufficient to earn him the sport ball.
Rotation minutes are scarce, however with Boston consistently grabbing 20+ level leads, Baylor has an opportunity to play for longer than common. Contemplating he’s on an ordinary contract, there’s no restrict on the quantity of video games he can play for Boston this season, however benefiting from these minutes whereas finally spending time in Maine can be finest for his improvement in the long term.
