Boston Celtics: 3 Takeaways from Cs loss to the Pelicans

Boston Celtics takeaway #3: Jayson Tatum needs more help most nights

You may be thinking, how could Tatum, largely the only bright-spot of this horrible loss, be a take-away from the game?

Tatum is carrying this team right now, and the takeaway is that they need to put more talent around Tatum, and Brown, immediately. Tatum is far and away the most impactful Celtic, even with the largely increased production of fellow forward Jaylen Brown.

Tatum leads the team in points per game and is second in rebounds and assists per game. He is also the best shot-creator on the team, and when he is off the court, the team just cannot produce meaningful basketball. Tatum has the best on-off plus/minus per 100 possessions on the Celtics, being a +8.3 in his time on the court. The next highest after him? Daniel Theis at +5.4 per 100.

There are just two lineups the Cs have put out this season (with at least 10 minutes played together) that have a positive net rating without Tatum. With Tatum? There are 16 lineups including Tatum with a positive net rating. These are pretty staggering numbers, and even with the improvement of Brown, Tatum is truly the only one that can carry a lineup by himself.

All things considered, there are pros and cons that come with that statement. A pro would be that Tatum truly is that game-changing difference-maker the Celtics always thought he would be, and come playoff time, he will be leaned on big time. However, a con is one and the same as the pro in this situation. Having to lean on one player, especially in the playoffs, is a scary concept.

As great as Brown has been, he has not shown the ability to carry the bench guys like Tatum is able to. The first time All-Star is great at getting to his spots, however, when Tatum is off the court, he does not shoot nearly as well.

This is because Tatum excels in the concept of “gravity”, or the ability to draw defenders with or without the ball. When Tatum is on the court, he typically draws double teams when he crosses half. When teams show 2 or 3, Tatum has become adept in the ability to find the open man, now averaging a career-high five assists per game.

The All-NBA forward consistently draws the other teams’ best defenders, allowing other players to go to work on worse defenders when he is on the court. The team needs to improve, they need more shot creators so the team isn’t so stagnant while he is on the bench. Many players have been presented, whether they are through free agency or trade. No matter who it is, anyone can help this team right now, and Ainge needs to pull the trigger on a deal as soon as possible to help the Jays out.

As great as Tatum is, the team is not great without him, and even being as young as he is, he cannot play all 48 minutes in every game. The coaches, GM, and owner need to make changes around their All-stars, or this team is doomed for an early exit come playoff time.