One way each of the core Celtics can improve

“Irrespective of how good you get you possibly can all the time get higher, and that’s the thrilling half.” — Tiger Woods

Striving for steady progress is considered one of many issues that may assist distance elite athletes from the remainder of the pack. The most effective gamers don’t relaxation on their laurels or the varied pre-existing instruments of their bag. As an alternative, they’re all the time seeking to fantastic tune totally different expertise and add new dimensions to their recreation.

In any case, in the event you’re not continually evolving, you’re falling behind.

That assertion rings very true within the NBA. Whereas the Celtics enter the 2023 season with top-of-the-line rosters within the league, every of the squad’s core gamers has one or two issues they might work on.

New addition Kristaps Porzingis will probably be excluded, just because he must give attention to getting wholesome and subsequently becoming in alongside the Jays as a substitute of a selected space of particular person enchancment. Al Horford will even be excluded, as a result of you possibly can’t actually ask a 37-year-old to drastically modify his recreation, particularly when he suits the system completely and shot a career-high 44.6% from three final season. Simply preserve doing all of your factor, Al.

That leaves 5 members of Boston’s “core.” With out additional ado, let’s get into it.

Jayson Tatum — Three-point taking pictures

Tatum is coming off one of the best season of his profession, averaging 30.1 factors, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per recreation. The younger star improved nearly all the things followers had been clamoring for him to work on in 2022; he drove extra, bought to the free throw line at a considerably larger charge, utilized his measurement to turn into quietly top-of-the-line rebounders within the league, and took his total scoring to the following stage.

Nevertheless, one space that stands proud is his lack of effectivity from behind-the-arc. Tatum shot precisely 35% from three final 12 months, which isn’t horrible, but it surely was barely beneath the 2022 league common of 36.1%.

Nevertheless, if you’re taking 9.3 threes per recreation — which was the fourth-most long-range makes an attempt per contest throughout the complete league final 12 months — ideally you need to be hitting them at not less than a league common charge. Whereas Tatum’s two-motion shot kind works for him, it does create extra room for error than a typical one-motion we see utilized by most NBA gamers, which results in an absence of repeatability and can lead to decreased effectivity. That stated, he’s gifted sufficient to bump that long-range proportion up, and if he does, it’s going to take his manufacturing to a different stage.

Jaylen Brown — Choice-making

Most of you had been in all probability in search of “dribbling left” on this part. Sorry to disappoint.

Brown’s downhill dribbling is clearly an space that he must work on, but it surely falls underneath a bigger umbrella of decision-making. In the event you’re in search of a selected deep-dive into his left-handed turnover woes, try this text by The Athletic’s Jared Weiss.

As Weiss factors out, out of Brown’s 66 turnovers within the postseason, 25 of them occurred as a result of he misplaced the ball whereas dribbling left. That’s clearly regarding, however in actuality, a majority of Brown’s turnovers — together with these ones — come as the results of a poor choice.

Whether or not it’s dribbling right into a double-team as a result of he believes he can nonetheless get a shot off or forcing the problem on a quick break when he doesn’t have the numbers, Jaylen merely makes too many performs per recreation that depart us questioning precisely what was going via his head.

Quite a lot of that may be chalked as much as tempo of play and easily making an attempt to do an excessive amount of. Opposite to what Twitter trolls could inform you, Brown is an extremely expert offensive participant. Nevertheless, everybody has limits to their skills, and he tends to push his too constantly.

If Jaylen can gradual his tempo of play down and course of extra of the equation whereas sticking to his strengths, the variety of foolish turnovers will probably be drastically minimize down.

Derrick White — Being extra assertive

There have been numerous instances final 12 months when White was far too passive. To be honest, he was working because the off-ball guard more often than not. Nevertheless, now that Marcus Sensible is gone and White is entering into the full-time place to begin guard position, passivity is not going to be acceptable. His fingerprints must be throughout Boston’s offense for a bunch of causes.

Firstly, White is an exceptional decision-maker. His processing velocity is extremely fast, and also you not often see him make the fallacious alternative with the ball in his arms. You need these sorts of guys working as major playmakers, which is why I’m excited to see what he can do in an expanded position this 12 months.

Secondly, bumping White’s utilization will permit Tatum and Brown to relaxation extra, which is able to hopefully preserve them brisker for the postseason. Final 12 months, Jayson’s utilization charge was 32.6% (fifth-highest within the NBA) and Brown’s was 31.4%, which ranked ninth throughout the affiliation. Ideally, Boston can lower each of these percentages for the Jays through the common season.

The ball doesn’t simply must be in White’s arms extra. He must WANT the ball in his arms extra.

Robert Williams — (Additionally) being extra assertive

Within the phrases of Staff Rocket (sure, we’re quoting Pokémon now, that’s the stage of the offseason we’ve entered), “put together for hassle, make it double!”

And by “hassle,” I naturally imply Boston’s extra passive gamers turning into extra assertive.

The whole lot of Boston’s staff has expressed its want to see Williams take a extra aggressive offensive strategy, at instances even getting offended on the massive man when he passes up a very good look close to the rim.

When he does shoot, Williams’ effectivity is thru the roof, as he boasts a profession 73.2 FG%. It’s honest to imagine that quantity will lower as he begins taking extra photographs, however based mostly on the comparatively restricted pattern measurement, it’s simple to see why the Celtics need him placing up extra makes an attempt.

It’s not like I’m asking Rob to start out taking contested middies and even create his personal shot constantly, however he must be extra of a menace offensively to maintain opposing defenses sincere.

Malcolm Brogdon — Playmaking

Brogdon’s relationship with Boston’s entrance workplace remains to be seemingly not on one of the best phrases, and there’s all the time an opportunity Brad Stevens offers the reigning Sixth Man of the Yr earlier than the season begins. Nevertheless, if we’re to take Stevens at his phrase — which isn’t all the time a wise technique in relation to public feedback by any entrance workplace government — then the staff plans on bringing Brogdon again into the fold as a significant contributor as soon as once more for the upcoming marketing campaign.

Assuming that’s how this example performs out, then the veteran guard must tackle a considerably bigger position as a playmaker. With Sensible in Memphis and Payton Pritchard working as extra of a scorer, that leaves Brogdon and White as the one two rotational guards able to distributing at a excessive stage on Boston’s roster.

Brogdon was extra of a score-first sixth man final season, however he’s able to working an offense. Earlier than he landed with the Celtics, he averaged 6.3 assists per recreation over three seasons with the Pacers. After taking part in a career-low 26.0 minutes per contest in 2022, that quantity will seemingly creep again up in the direction of 30 this season. When Brogdon is on the ground, he’ll have to constantly set his teammates up.