Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from rock-fight against Pacers

Boston Celtics takeaway No. 3) Attacking the rim to a fault

One of the most frustrating aspects of Jayson Tatum’s career has been his tendency to settle for jump shots over taking the easy path to the rim. Gradually, he has gotten better at attacking the opposing defenses, in turn drawing contact and finding himself at the line.

Against the Pacers, he ended up 10-of-11 from the charity stripe, leading all players in both attempts and makes from that area. That statistic alone is encouraging, directly speaking to his aggressiveness against smaller and slower defenders.

However, in this game, he forced the aggressive playstyle far too often, resulting in a whopping eight turnovers.

Tatum didn’t have his three-point stroke Monday, missing all seven of his attempts from beyond the arc so he tried, again and again, to force himself into the lane, often being stripped by multiple defenders due to the Celtics’ poor spacing.

JT missed multiple passes to the perimeter that would have resulted in open jumpers for the C’s but instead ended up being the main reason for the team’s 20(!) turnovers.

Tatum has developed as a playmaker and passer over the past few seasons, making his teammates better on a nightly basis (yes, including Jaylen Brown).

This turnover-filled night for Tatum isn’t a huge concern, as it says more about the team’s lack of spacing, with multiple players standing inside the arc and clogging up the lane, rather than his own skills.

Look for the All-Star to bounce back on Wednesday against this same Indiana team.