Report cards are in for the Boston Celtics wings/forwards, and we're sticking with the rotation guys: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Sam Hauser. This group features one of the best duos in the NBA and one of the best three-point shooters in the association. The guards have already been graded.
Celtics Player Grades: Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum may be one of the most over-hated superstars in the NBA. He finished the regular season with spectacular marks of 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and a steal per game on 47% shooting overall, 37% from three, and 83% from the line in 74 games played.
Tatum made the All-NBA First Team for the third consecutive year and finished sixth overall in the MVP race. The franchise star eclipsed 10,000 career points and 1,000 made threes in the same season while also reducing his turnovers to 2.5 a game.
In 19 playoff games, Jayson Tatum averaged 25 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 43% shooting overall, 28% from three, and 86% from the line. He still kept consistent with his production, but his efficiency took a hit in the postseason.
The playoffs featured his first-ever playoff triple-double in the first round versus the Miami Heat, and he also had a big-time performance in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, scoring 10 of his 36 points in overtime to lead Boston to a win over the Indiana Pacers.
In the NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in five games. His most notable performance came when he dropped 31 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in the closeout Game 5 to win his first NBA Championship. He received almost half of the votes for Finals MVP, but his lack of efficiency ultimately cost him the crown.
Final Grade: A
Celtics Player Grades: Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown might as well be dubbed as the king of the snubs for his tremendous performance in the 2023-24 season, coupled with a lack of recognition. He averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals on 50% shooting overall, 35% from three, and 70% from the stripe in 70 games played. Brown cut his turnovers down to 2.4, which was a major criticism of him in years past.
The rising superstar also proved he had a left hand en route to another All-Star appearance. The end-of-season awards saw JB get snubbed from the All-Defensive teams and the All-NBA teams, but do not let these egregious snubs tell the story of his best season to date.
Most nights, Brown was charged with stopping the other team's best offensive player, and he became a more efficient offensive player as well.
The playoffs saw the energy shift as Brown averaged 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19 games. He was an accolade accumulator, collecting the Larry Bird Trophy for MVP in the Eastern Conference Finals and winning the Bill Russell Finals MVP in the NBA Finals.
This ramped up a healthy debate of who the best player on the Celtics is at the moment. For us Celtics fans, can't we all enjoy having two top-10 caliber superstars in their prime on our team?
The forward finished the C's championship with averages of 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, five assists, and 1.6 steals in the NBA Finals. He shot 44% overall and guarded Luka Doncic on the other end.
Final Grade: A+
Celtics Player Grades: Sam Hauser
Sam Hauser, the third-year sharpshooting wing, has improved every season in the league. The 2023-24 season was no different, as he averaged 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds, which were both career highs.
The Wisconsin native shot 45% from the floor overall and 42% from three on 5.9 attempts. His 90% shooting from the foul line was also a career-high.
The season featured a game where he made 10 threes in three quarters against the Washington Wizards, and his defense became above average to the point where opposing teams could no longer see him as the weak link to exploit.
The playoffs saw his role cut as the rotation was shortened. He still played around 15 minutes a night in all 19 playoff games and averaged 5.4 points on 38% shooting from three-point land.
Hauser hit 11 three-pointers in five games against the Dallas Mavericks, helping lift the Celtics to their 18th championship in franchise history. The forward elevated his game for the Finals, averaging 8.2 points and 3.0 boards per game on 52% shooting overall, 48% from distance, and 100% from the foul line.
He proved worth keeping around for the long haul, as he inked a four-year, $45 million contract extension with the Celtics this summer.
Final Grade: B+