The Celtics sit atop the standings on the All Star Break. So what do they should do between now and the playoffs? I requested the workers to check out particular person gamers and supply ideas on tweaks that they might make to their video games.
Ben Dupont
I do know it’s all anybody talks about, however Tatum driving to the basket is the useless horse that wants beating. He simply doesn’t do it sufficient, and settling for unhealthy pull-up threes isn’t going to work each time. It’s a kind of issues that you already know goes to get higher within the playoffs, but it surely’s irritating that we haven’t seen it extra within the common season. Tatum is so harmful when he’s getting downhill, and groups can just about make sure they’re protected from hurt for 3 quarters of the sport.
Mark Aboyoun
He could not get loads of minutes as soon as the playoffs come, however Queta not biting on each shot faux. For younger facilities (we witnessed it with Rob Williams his first two years) they attempt to block all the things. Typically simply staying nonetheless along with your fingers up can alter a shot simply as a lot as getting a block. If we want Queta within the playoffs, it in all probability means somebody is harm which isn’t perfect both.
Photograph by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Pictures
Trevor Hass
Jaylen Brown’s 3-point proportion is hovering round 34 %. It’s a small distinction, however getting it as much as round 37 or 38 would pay dividends. Kristaps Porzingis is averaging round 13 pictures per recreation. It’s extra on the Celtics than it’s on him, however that quantity needs to be round 15 or 16, even when Tatum and Brown take one or two fewer. If Oshae Brissett desires to log playoff minutes, he has to work on his shot and develop into a extra constant possibility offensively.
Tim Sheils
Oshae Brissett must hit his open pictures, or extra importantly, his three level pictures. Proper now, he’s a sub 30% shooter from deep, and one of many largest wants on the deadline was so as to add one other sturdy wing to the rotation. After including Jaden Springer and Xavier Tillman, there’s nonetheless very a lot a necessity on the wing, however that will get mitigated if any person in-house steps up. Enter Oshae, a man able to including vitality, protection and athleticism. The largest drawback is his three ball, but when he can get that up a bit, it’ll alleviate a number of the Celtics rotational considerations. With different studs on the lineup beside him like Brown and Tatum, Oshae will get loads of open seems, and that may be one of many methods Boston can punish double groups. I’m actually rooting for Brissett to determine his three ball earlier than the playoffs, as a result of I feel his vitality and protection may come up massive someplace down the road.
Sam LaFrance
My kneejerk response right here is to complain about Jayson Tatum capturing too many threes. He averages 8.5 makes an attempt per recreation, which is certainly decrease than I assumed. The truth is, that’s a fantastic quantity. Nonetheless, I’d nonetheless prefer to see SOME change right here.
Don’t cease capturing them, even the robust ones that I despise.
What I wish to see is a greater means to learn the room on these pictures. Tatum is a incredible participant, in all probability the very best Celtic since Larry Hen. However, there are occasions throughout video games when he takes these pictures, early within the clock, and when the Cs are on the incorrect aspect of the momentum. Positive, it’s of venture, and if it finds the underside of the web then the day is saved. When it doesn’t it’s a straightforward defensive cease for the opposing crew and that cease got here a time the place Boston was dying for a bucket.
To Tatum’s credit score, there have been occasions all through the season, when the Cs wanted a spark and he introduced them again from the useless by getting downhill and going to the rim.
TLDR: I don’t need fast Jayson Tatum threes to be Boston’s reply for opposing runs.
Bonus: Kristaps Porzingis must get place nearer to the basket. He’s nails from — properly, the nail — however I don’t want him posting up above the half circle. (edited)
Photograph by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Mike Dynon
Jayson Tatum has been a pressure on each ends of the courtroom. His pictures are down barely from final yr so his scoring is just too, however he nonetheless leads the crew in factors and rebounds per recreation and is nearly tied for crew lead in assists per recreation. When he assaults the rim and forces the protection to rotate or swap, he willingly strikes the ball and the half-court offense hums. Nonetheless, he nonetheless tends to decelerate the tempo towards the top of every recreation, isolating and dribbling in place behind the arc. The ball stops shifting and, to my eyes, the offense turns into stagnant. I’d prefer to see him hold the tempo going for all 48 minutes, then let’s see how a lot that helps keep away from letting leads slip away.
Adam Taylor
This isn’t for a selected participant — sorry, I do know i’m form of dishonest right here. However, I wish to see extra off-ball motion from everybody on the roster. As others have mentioned right here, Jayson Tatum must assault the basket extra. Actually, I feel the quantity of inside scoring expertise on this roster isn’t being utilized to it’s full potential.
Off-ball reducing opens up scoring throughout all three ranges. Mixing in additional participant motion, particularly in half-court units, that doesn’t contain simply relocating, may take this offense to the moon. So, everyone wants to enhance that space of their recreation. For me, it’s an essential facet — particularly by way of defensive manipulation.
Jack Simone
Extra Derrick White ball-handling. Perhaps that is much less of a tweak to his recreation and extra of an adjustment to Boston’s gameplan, however when White has the ball in his fingers, good issues occur. He’s gone from an elite 3-and-D participant to a well-rounded level guard on probably the greatest groups within the league. His floater is clean, he can draw contact on the rim with the very best of them, and his passing skills are arguably the very best on the crew. Clearly, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are going to have the ball rather a lot, however White needs to be dealing with many of the level guard duties.
