Cruise control: 10 takeaways from Celtics/Jazz

#1 A distinct model of Tatum

A typical theme this season has been to query Jayson Tatum’s scoring manufacturing. All people is aware of he’s able to being among the many league leaders in factors per recreation. And all of us got here into the season questioning how lengthy it could take to see Tatum document his first 50-point recreation of the season. That hasn’t been his position this 12 months, although.

As a substitute, Tatum has been an elite-level level ahead. He’s been at his greatest when orchestrating play, controlling the glass and attacking mismatches within the submit. That doesn’t imply he can’t dominate as a major offensive choice. It simply signifies that with the expertise on the Celtics roster, Tatum hasn’t wanted to be the “alpha” within the common sense of the phrase. Nevertheless, he has been producing “alpha” performances another way.

But, Tatum’s position was adjusted with Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis each out of the rotation in opposition to the Utah Jazz. All of a sudden, a Utah workforce that’s ranked twenty ninth within the NBA needed to try to cease one of the skillful scorers within the NBA when he was tasked with spearheading the offense. Powerful occasions.

This was Tatum’s first bucket. That is who he’s now. He’s a drive when driving the lane. He’s robust sufficient to dislodge, or on this case dismiss, his defender, and he’s more than pleased to blow up across the rim.

One other factor that Tatum does nicely today is rating out of the pick-and-roll — as each a ball-handler and the screener. You’re simply as prone to see Tatum be the “popper” in a pick-and-pop as you’re to see him snaking his dribble over a display screen because the ball-handler. That sort of versatility may give defenses nightmares. How will you guard a participant that cycles between being the screener and the screenie?

Right here he’s because the “popper.”

Because the curler.

And because the ball-handler.

Whenever you consider his capacity to function as a catch-and-shoot risk and his dominance within the submit, it’s laborious to poke holes in Tatum’s offensive skillset. He’s genuinely one of the pure scorers within the league. The distinction is that he expanded his recreation to be greater than only a scorer, and that has led him into some very deep waters.

Some nights, the Celtics want the high-scoring model of Tatum. Most nights, they want the whole ahead model, that’s the participant we’ve seen all season, and that’s the participant we’ll see through the playoffs.

#2 Kornet retains Kornet’ing

One other post-All-Star recreation, one other strong night time for Luke Kornet. He stepped into the Celtics beginning lineup in opposition to the Jazz. Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis have been each on the damage report.

What I like about Kornet’s recreation is that he’s discovered a solution to exist on the perimeter regardless of not being a three-point risk. He’s embraced a job as a hand-off hub and a screen-and-roll huge, whereas he’s additionally bettering together with his work on the offensive glass.

Kornet has turn into extremely snug initiating hand-offs across the elbow prolonged and may orchestrate empty-side DHOs from related places, too. His dimension and body make him a troublesome physique to navigate for the chasing protection, permitting him to spring the ball receiver free after handing the ball off. From there, Kornet has proven a capability to circulation right into a secondary display screen to roll to the rim.

On offense, Kornet primarily will get his buckets out of rim-runs and curler conditions. Nevertheless, his baseline minimize in opposition to Utah was a stunning improvement that made me sit up and take discover.

Kornet’s contract expires on the finish of the season, and he’ll turn into an unrestricted free agent. If he continues to supply worth as Boston’s third huge within the rotation and reveals a various skillset inside a five-out offense that thrives on movement, there’ll little doubt be some groups lurking in the summertime.

#3 Oshae Brissett’s minutes have been good

Like, actually good. Brissett has carved out a pleasant area of interest position for himself with the Celtics. He’s an power man who causes havoc together with his hustle and physicality. No rebound is secure when Brissett is crashing the glass. No minimize or driving lane is open, both.

Whenever you take a look at the boxscore, as I needed to yesterday, it could have been simple to imagine that Brissett had a comparatively quiet night time. That’s why I don’t like trying on the field rating and asking it to color an image. The teachings are taught on the courtroom. Brissett was impactful. He elevated the Celtics’ on-ball strain, fought for free balls, and galvanized his workforce.

Personally, I’m not anticipating to see a lot Brissett as soon as the postseason begins. Not except the Celtics must jolt of power to get again right into a recreation or halt a run. But, figuring out he’s on the bench and may make his presence felt immediately is a consolation blanket that each contending workforce must have. Brissett isn’t an enforcer, however his physicality, power and explosiveness may give the Celtics a special dimension when wanted.

#4 One other take a look at Tillman

We have not often seen him since Xavier Tillman was acquired earlier than the February 8 commerce deadline. Nevertheless, with Horford and Porzingis each sidelined, we did get one other prolonged take a look at the versatile huge man.

Total, Tillman performed his position nicely. He occupied the right spots on the ground. He discovered success as a screener. Displayed some physicality within the paint. Secured rebounds on each ends of the courtroom. And he drained a 3.

Tillman has the talent set to imitate Horford’s position inside the rotation. He’s not going to be as dependable from the perimeter by way of scoring. Nonetheless, his positioning, defensive versatility, and physicality within the paint will assist spell the veteran’s minutes when wanted.

Whether or not Tillman cracks the playoff rotation or is used as a situational huge stays to be seen. It will seem he’s able to excelling in both position. Nevertheless, with Kornet forward of him within the rotation, it’s laborious to see the place Tillman’s minutes would come from if he wished constant enjoying time this season.

Nonetheless, the expertise is there, and he performs a cerebral model of basketball. If Joe Mazzulla desires to combine him into the rotation, there’s little doubt he would discover a solution to make it work.

#5 A lot of nook actions

The Celtics have explored a number of methods to assault out of the corners this season. They’ve run stagger actions for shooters to raise out, a number of variations of “Zoom” actions, some “21” and a few “Pistol,” and a few low-angle pick-and-roll offense.

But, the most typical approach the Celtics have pressured the protection is by working empty-side (or empty-corner) units. If there’s no shooter within the nook, there’s no protection, both, thus creating extra room to drive or to circulation right into a tough-to-contest jumper.

The above clip is kind of a failed instance. Payton Pritchard rejects the display screen from Tillman and decides to isolate. Nevertheless, the spacing within the robust aspect nook is evident to see. It’s evident how simple these kind of actions might be to govern, particularly when you might have spacing across the perimeter.

We will see the Celtics going again to an empty nook motion within the above clip. This time, Tatum can duck right into a post-up following his display screen. Once more, the Celtics can exploit the extra area by not having a shooter within the nook. Tatum’s shot does not fall, however the general course of is one we’ve seen work all through the season.

Boston moved away from attacking empty corners as a core a part of its technique earlier within the season. I like the thought of iterating by way of its playbook and completely different offensive approaches because the postseason attracts close to. For me, the Celtics’’ taking pictures and slashing expertise make attacking empty sides a logical alternative. I might count on to see extra of this within the coming weeks.

#6 Dunker spot Jrue, once more

Initially, it was superior seeing Jrue Vacation flash some off-the-dribble creation in opposition to Utah. He was powerful to include when driving into the protection and seeking to make reads as soon as the Jazz appeared to break down. Right here he’s penetrating off the bounce earlier than hitting Sam Hauser to finish the “Spain PnR” motion.

But, as I’ve mentioned at a number of occasions this season, it’s Vacation’s upside as an inverted dunker spot risk that continues to catch my consideration.

Vacation is an clever participant. He reads the sport nicely, can see the ground like a playmaker, and may function at a number of positions. That’s why having him occupy the dunker spot in possessions just like the above is so intriguing. Watch how he relocates to the robust aspect dunker to “brief” the pick-and-roll and obtain the move from Tatum. That permits Vacation to hit the contact move to the rolling Kornet for the dunk.

This season, we haven’t seen the Celtics run a lot “brief” motion. Often, Vacation would come increased up the ground for a majority of these units. Nevertheless, his worth within the dunker spot as a passer, choice maker and scorer makes it logical to maintain him hovering across the baseline.

#7 An aggressive D-White

With so many members of the Celtics rotation lacking, White stepped right into a secondary offensive position. He ended the sport with 24 factors, hitting 7-of-11 from deep. It’s been some time since we’ve seen White enjoying with this kind of drive and aggressiveness on offense. At occasions, it felt just like the Jazz have been struggling to include him.

With a much bigger deal with scoring the ball, we didn’t see a lot of White’s playmaking capacity — that duty fell to Vacation.

It is no secret that White can iterate by way of completely different roles throughout a recreation. Regardless of his deal with offense, he’ll all the time be a dependable defender — as displayed by his three blocks in opposition to Utah.

After the sport White mentioned that he got here into the sport with the mindset of simply “letting it fly.” That technique appeared to work. I’m not too certain about Kornet’s La La Land joke, although.

#8 Pritchard’s eye check didn’t match the stat sheet

On the stat sheet, Pritchard had a troublesome night time. He went 3-for-12 from the sector and 2-for-9 from the perimeter. He didn’t actually make an influence as a playmaker or a rebounder. But, when watching the sport, his capacity to vary the tempo, cycle by way of his gears and push the tempo on the break gave Boston an edge off each missed shot.

Pritchard can also be actually good at recognizing when to get off the ball and relocate, which permits him to maintain the Celtics’ spacing alive and use his deep taking pictures vary to generate gravity. On paper, Pritchard had a troublesome night time in opposition to the Jazz. Nevertheless, he performed his position nicely, impacting the sport in areas that don’t seem on the stat sheet.

It might not have been his greatest efficiency, nevertheless it was removed from his worst.

I’ll depart you with this nice clip of Pritchard utilizing a “sluggish step” behind the again crossover to prepare dinner his defender in transition and open up a lane to assault the rim. Actually fairly stuff.

#9 No room for Neemy

With Horford and Porzingis each out, and Kornet shifting into the beginning lineup, I had sort of anticipated Queta to fit right into a third-big position. Nevertheless, Mazzulla opted to stay with Kornet and Tillman all through the sport, leaving the two-way heart as the one DNP-CD of the sport for the Celtics.

Jaden Springer, Svi Mykhailiuk and JD Davison all bought some enjoying time. I’ve been skeptical concerning any potential minutes for Neemy because the addition of Tillman. Seeing him caught on the bench when the first heart rotation has been chopped and adjusted was a reasonably telling signal.

#10 These video games are a formality

At this level within the season, with the primary seed all however assured, these video games are a formality. We all know it. The workforce is aware of it. The remainder of the league is aware of it. But, the Celtics must undergo the method.

I like having a stretch on the finish of the season to work on issues and look to tighten up some features of the offense and protection. I additionally like that different groups are nonetheless preventing for one thing, forcing the Celtics to stay targeted and proceed chipping away at a possible 60-win season.

Nonetheless, the playoffs shall be right here earlier than we all know it. That is the calm earlier than the storm. That is the prequel to a possible blockbuster film. And we’re right here for all of it.

Wanting forward

The Celtics are again in motion on Wednesday. They are going to have a rematch in opposition to the Phoenix Suns. This time, the sport shall be on the TD Backyard. I’m to see how the Celtics look to restrict Pheonix’s offense, as they’ll undoubtedly be seeking to even the season sequence.

Hopefully, the Celtics rotation shall be again at full power, with Porzingis being the participant I’m most hopeful to see after his three-game (and counting) absence. Win or lose, we shall be again right here on Friday morning to dissect the sport. Hopefully, we shall be speaking in regards to the Celtics fourth straight win. How shortly issues change.