Expect more touches for Brown and Tatum now that Kristaps Porzingis is here

Ever since Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been the undisputed cornerstones of the franchise, the third star was at all times a guard, whether or not the star was Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, or to a sure extent, Marcus Good.

This 12 months will likely be totally different. It’s nonetheless the two-man present, however the third star will likely be standing at 7’3 as a substitute of 6’3.

You need your stars with the ball of their palms and having a participant like Kristaps Porzingis will drive each Brown and Tatum to have the ball extra. With Good now in Memphis and Derrick White working the offense, there will likely be loads of occasions all through the sport the place Tatum or Brown will carry the ball up the courtroom.

When Kyrie was on the helm, the offense needed to undergo him and he demanded the ball, limiting the touches of youthful variations of Tatum and Brown. Within the 2017-18 season, Irving had 76.0 touches per recreation (29.9 of these touches occurring within the entrance courtroom) for a complete of 6.1 minutes (4.82 seconds per contact per recreation). The next season Irving had 76.8 touches (31.1 entrance courtroom touches) for five.5 minutes and 4.27 seconds per contact. Though Kyrie’s complete time on the ball went down within the 2018-19 season his total touches went up.

In distinction to Tatum’s rookie season, he averaged 42.7 touches having the ball in his palms for 1.8 minutes per recreation. Brown in the identical season had 38.9 touches and had the ball for 1.5 minutes per recreation. Within the 2018-19 season, Tatum’s touches elevated to 45.6 touches a recreation (two minutes of complete possession). However, Brown’s touches and complete possession dropped from 38.9 to 31.8 and 1.5 to 1.2 minutes.

Clearly, each Brown and Tatum had been very younger of their NBA careers on the time, so it is sensible that Irving had the ball in his palms as typically as he did. When Irving left, the Celtics signed one other ball-dominant star in Kemba Walker. To be honest to Walker, he acknowledged and accepted his backseat position understanding it was going to be Brown and Tatum’s workforce. Nevertheless, Walker nonetheless dominated the ball whereas he repped the inexperienced and white.

In Walker’s two seasons with the workforce, his touches went from 70.8 a recreation for a complete time of possession of 5.9 minutes to 72.2 touches for a time of 5.6 minutes. In 2019-20, Tatum’s numbers had been 68.1 with 3.4 minutes of possession. The next 12 months his touches escalated to 77.7 whereas having the ball for 4.8 minutes a recreation. Brown’s touches additionally elevated below Walker from 48.9 in 2019-20 for two.2 minutes to 56.9 for two.7 minutes.

Now, with one much less ball handler on the roster, the Celtics ought to anticipate each Tatum’s (74.9 touches and 4.8 minutes in 2022-23) and Brown’s (64.0 touches and three.7 minutes) touches and time of possession to rise. Good averaged slightly below 60 touches a recreation. Naturally, each White and Brogdon’s touches will enhance, however so will Tatum’s and Brown’s.

Final 12 months, Tatum averaged 0.401 factors per contact whereas Brown was extra environment friendly scoring 0.416 per contact. In Walker’s final season with the Celtics, Tatum averaged 0.340 factors per contact whereas Brown was at 0.433 factors.

This previous season on a Washington Wizards workforce, Porzingis was considered one of two stars behind Bradley Beal. The massive man averaged 60.2 touches, however solely had the ball in his palms for a complete of 1.8 minutes. The Latvian averaged 0.68 dribbles per contact which interprets to fast decision-making. Being 7’3 implies that at occasions, he gained’t even have to dribble to get his shot off.

Porzingis is an environment friendly catch-and-shoot scorer for a giant man. In his final 4 years, he’s averaging 7.4 factors on 38.2% taking pictures from behind the arc. The Celtics can use him for pick-and-pops or if they simply want him to face within the nook on events, having somebody like Kristaps provides the Jays an entire new weapon to make the most of.

On the defensive facet of the ball, groups would headhunt our star guards understanding they weren’t the perfect defenders up to now. Whether or not it was Irving, Walker, and even Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics at all times needed to modify its protection to account for them. With Good gone, White is the brand new starter. Though Good could also be a greater defender total, White can maintain his personal as he made the All-Protection workforce this previous season.

Porzingis brings extra defensive solidity and makes the Celtics larger generally. Each Good and White are across the identical peak, however we’re now including a 7’3 huge man to the beginning rotation which can assist each on the offensive and defensive finish. The Unicorn ranked fourth within the NBA in pick-and-roll protection permitting solely 0.93 factors per possession.

Porzingis provides Brown and Tatum one thing they haven’t had of their careers. Probably the most related participant they’d was Al Horford, however Porzingis is a taller and, to be frank, higher participant than Horford has been within the Brown-Tatum period. He might present what the Jays have wanted to recover from the hump.