There was a lot of nonsensical talk about how Jayson Tatum would fit in with the Celtics upon returning from his torn achilles, and after just one game, that talk should be completely put to bed. It looked a little clunky at tip-off, but that felt largely due to the weight of the moment. Once both teams settled into the game, we got a good look at what this team is now, and the results were extremely promising.
Tatum slotting back in with the starting unit took pressure off the other starters right away. Jaylen Brown had much less attention on him and was able to pick his spots even more. He still did all the great JB things he’s been doing all season, but was able to eliminate some of the forces when possessions bog down, and he has to create out of thin air.
Derrick White was able to slot into more of a secondary role on offense, where he is far more comfortable. D-White looked happy out there playing more naturally, as he has never seemed like a player who wants to create his own offense consistently. He has done it this season out of necessity, and his efficiency has cratered. It feels like that’s about to change with JT back in the fold.
Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta, the other two starters, were living a dream on offense, just being able to screen, cut, and space the floor, and being fed open looks while the defense focused on the three stars.
All told, Boston had Brown put up 24, 7, and 7, Tatum with 15, 12, and 7, Queta with 16 and 15, and White with 20, 4, and 4. Hauser was the only one without a great box score, but he did exactly what he's supposed to, getting up 8 good looks - all from 3 - and pulling down 5 boards and playing solid defense. Even on an off-shooting night (2-8), he made a huge impact with his gravity.
Celtics bench mob is back in a big way
Tatum’s return has also organically created the perfect bench crew for the Celtics. Joe Mazzulla was using almost hockey-like subs, and it worked quite well. Running out a second unit of Payton Pritchard, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, perhaps Jordan Walsh when he’s back from illness, and Luka Garza (especially now that Nikola Vucevic is set to miss time with a thumb injury) feels almost unfair.
Those are five absolute dirt dogs who work their asses off on every single possession, defend aggressively, and crash the glass relentlessly. Those guys are going to come in fresh, as a group, and smother teams that are either relying on tired starters or lesser bench players at that point.
The Celtics’ bench has been a huge advantage all season long, and adding JT back to the starting lineup only makes the bench deeper. Mazzulla now has endless opportunities and possibilities for how he wants to deploy his players, and I’m sure it’s something he’s been dreaming of all season.
It’s exciting as can be for Boston fans, and frankly, it has to be a bit scary for every other team in the league. It was already eye-opening what this team was doing, and now that they’ve added a first-team All-NBA level superstar into the mix, it feels like it’s impossible to put any limits or ceiling on what the Celtics can accomplish this season.