When the Boston Celtics are at their finest on the defensive finish, they’re one of the best workforce within the NBA. They’re in a position to play with the right mix of power and self-discipline; they present our bodies in all the vital assist positions, they fly out to shooters on closeouts, and so they talk and rotate and zone up successfully on the weak facet, all whereas not falling for pump fakes and foul-baiting strategies.
The issue is that up till Recreation 4 towards the Warmth – in different phrases, by way of two and a half playoff collection – the C’s had been unable to realize that stage of defensive connectivity and togetherness. In reality, they couldn’t even come shut.
The distinction between what Boston appears to be like like after they’re enjoying poorly on protection (how they regarded for almost all of the ATL and PHI collection) and what they regarded like in Recreation 5 is probably essentially the most baffling disparity within the league. No different workforce has such an egregious drop off between their finest effort and their worst. Simply take a look at Recreation 3 after which take a look at Recreation 5 of the present collection – it’s robust to fathom that these efforts got here from the identical workforce.
The Celtics’ stage of defensive depth and power has thus turn into the litmus check for the way invested they’re within the recreation. (Don’t ask me why they will’t be invested in each recreation. I’ve been attempting to determine that out for a few years now). And should you needed to choose a singular participant that’s the litmus check for the litmus check – that’s, one participant whose stage of defensive power and vigor might precisely predict the whole workforce’s depth and energy stage on the defensive finish – it will, in my view, be Jayson Tatum.
Photograph by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE through Getty Photos
As stark because the deviation between the Celtics’ locked–in protection and their lackadaisical protection is, the distinction is much more distinguished for Jayson Tatum individually. He can go from wanting like a legitimately common NBA defender to a top-5 defensive participant within the league; when he’s centered and enjoying with effort and power, Jayson Tatum is a primary workforce All–Protection.
Exhibiting flashes
In Recreation 5, Jayson confirmed flashes of his true defensive potential (we’ll get to what peak defensive JT appears to be like like later). He didn’t maintain it for the whole recreation, however he was a defensive nightmare for Miami to deal with at occasions.
A part of what makes Tatum so impactful defensively is his measurement and athleticism, and subsequently, his versatility. He’s in a position to guard each single participant on the Warmth, as a result of he’s sturdy and difficult sufficient to hold with guys like Bam Adebayo and Cody Zeller but in addition laterally fast and agile sufficient to stick with Jimmy Butler and Gabe Vincent.
Right here, Deuce’s dad our bodies up Adebayo on the baseline and provides him completely nothing on the rim. Bam thinks he’s sturdy sufficient to shoulder Tatum backwards and sneak up underneath the left facet of the ring, however Tatum is just too sturdy.
Tatum is ready to guard Adebayo – with a pleasant dig in and assist from Marcus Sensible and the Grant and Rob Williams’ tandem – in semi-isolation fairly successfully. Despite the fact that he will get pushed backwards, Jayson is lengthy sufficient to get a extremely strong contest on a fortunate financial institution shot.
As I mentioned earlier, Tatum can also be in a position to defend Jimmy. Not solely that, however he’s most likely essentially the most preferable Celtics matchup towards the star wing.
Right here, Jayson will get referred to as for a bogus foul, however you possibly can inform he’s locked in and able to slide his toes towards Butler.
Tatum’s measurement and athleticism are so efficient; only a full isolation take from Butler, and he can’t discover something on JT. The Celtics want to search out extra methods to search out this defensive matchup (STOP SOFT SWITCHING TATUM OFF OF JIMMY, JOE).
Peak Tatum
After I consider peak Tatum defensively, I consider Spherical 1 final season towards Brooklyn. His stage of dedication to sliding his toes, combating over screens, and contesting with out fouling was not like something I’ve seen from him since (besides for brief, inconsistent flashes throughout this season’s NBA Playoffs).
Take a look at a couple of of those unbelievable defensive performs from simply Recreation 1 towards the Nets. Tatum was as locked in as I’ve seen him, and if he can attain that stage towards the Warmth shifting ahead, he’ll enormously improve Boston’s possibilities of persevering with their defensive dominance.
Extra of this, JT!
