While Kemba Walker has proven to be the leader of this competitive 2019-20 Boston Celtics squad, how far they end up going rests on the shoulders of young forward, Jayson Tatum.
Despite being losers of two consecutive contests — both against Eastern Conference contenders — the Boston Celtics are still very much an upper echelon team in the NBA. Currently, they hold the fourth seed out east with a record of 17-7. They rank seventh in both offensive (110.9) and defensive (104.1) rating and have the fifth best NET rating in the association (6.8).
A huge reason for this early season success is the arrival of point guard Kemba Walker. The All-NBA honoree signed a 4-year, $141 million deal with the Boston Celtics this offseason, replacing former franchise point guard Kyrie Irving, and brought a breath of selfless fresh-air to the team in the process.
Walker is having one of his best all around seasons as a pro in Brad Stevens’ point guard friendly system, averaging 23.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds a game on 43% shooting from the field and a career high 41% shooting from 3. Behind him, the Celtics have been able to grind out some big-time wins over top-tier teams like the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks, while also giving true title-contenders such as the Los Angeles Clippers a run for their money.
This loss in particular showcased some chief leadership skills that Kemba Walker has brought to this young and relatively inexperienced Boston Celtics squad. In post game interviews, it was quite evident the perennial All-Star was disappointed in his play, and refused to — unlike some former C’s point guards — blame anyone but himself for the loss.
"“I just thought I made a lot of bad decisions tonight. I just [have] to be better. At the end of the day, [I have to] be better for my teammates.”"
His willingness to take blame for the team’s loss had coach Stevens sing nothing but praise towards the point guard, specifically focusing on his leadership tactics.
"That's what good leaders do. That's part of it. He's great about that stuff." - #Celtics Brad Stevens when asked about Kemba Walker being tough on himself following loss vs #Clippers.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) November 23, 2019
Behind Walker’s impressive showing of skills and leadership, the Celtics are tied for the league’s fourth best record, and only look to improve as the season works its way towards the postseason. He is truly proving to be the leader this talented team has been missing over the past couple of seasons, and it is showing in year one of his four year commitment.
However, even with Walker’s invaluable attributes, in order for Boston to reach their fullest potential in 2019-20, they’re going to need more from the other 14 talents residing on the roster and, one in particular, they need more than any other.
Jayson Tatum, the C’s third year wing, is arguably the most talented player this team has at it’s disposal. With his impressive combination of skill (20.6 points,seven rebounds, 1.4 steals and just under a block per game this year) and stature (6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan), when he’s tuned in he’s simply one of the hardest match ups the league has to offer.
The problem so far this season is, despite his scoring and rebounding outputs looking solid on the surface, Tatum has not yet been able to turn it “on” at a consistent rate — specifically in regard to his offensive game. While the Boston Celtics currently find themselves ranked as one of the 10 best teams in the league — according to the standings — Tatum finds himself ranked 119th in the league in field goal percentage (40.6%).
The player right below him: Dillon Brooks. The player right above him: Terrence Ross.
Now look, I am not trying to knock these aforementioned players, as they are having solid campaigns for their respective teams. However, none of them share the same potential that Tatum has. Viewed as a future star in this league, the 21-year-old has to become more efficient in the shooting department if he truly wants to help this Boston Celtics team come that much closer to glory.
Lets make something clear: this is not an article saying the Boston Celtics are completely doomed by Tatum’s inefficient shooting this season. However, this is an article stating that if the wing can manage to improve in this category, the team would certainly prove to benefit from it.
With these shooting woes, the C’s find themselves with a very impressive winning percentage of 71%. Still, imagine how much higher this number would be with improvements in this category for the young wing.
So far this season, the Boston Celtics have proven to be one of the best team’s the league has to offer, and look on track for a top-5 seed come the postseason. This is thanks, in large, to Kemba Walker and his role as the team’s unquestioned leader.
However, how far Beantown ends up going rests on the shoulders of their young and talented wing Jayson Tatum, for he is the key to unlocking their full potential.