Since Jayson Tatum returned to the floor for the Celtics, all eyes have been on the superstar trying to come back from a torn achilles last May. The results have been extremely impressive, and perhaps never more than on Sunday night, when JT led the Cs to a 114-99 win in Charlotte, despite missing Derrick White and Jaylen Brown.
JT went off for 32 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds on 12-23 shooting from the floor, and is deserving of every bit of praise that he’s rightfully receiving. But amidst all the hype around Tatum’s return and how Boston has become a legitimate title contender thanks to his reintegration, we can’t lose sight of the way this defense is playing.
As great as Tatum was on Sunday, the most impressive feat of the night may have been holding one of the league’s best and hottest offenses under 100 points in their own building. The Hornets were on the second night of a back-to-back, but this is a young team, playing both games at home. You know they were fired up for this matchup against the Celtics, and they couldn’t get anything going all night long.
Celtics holding opponents to 100 points more often than not in March
This has become fairly normal for the Celtics. Since the All-Star break, the Celtics have played 20 games, and they’ve held their opponent to 100 points or fewer in nine of those games. For the month of March, they’ve now done it in seven out of 15.Â
There were also three other instances in March when the Celtics’ opponent scored 102 or 104 points. That means that only five times in their last 15 games has a team gone for 105 or more points against the Celtics, an incredible achievement.
A lot of the focus tends to gravitate to the Celtics' offense, which has been amazing all season, with the second-best net rating in the league, just behind the Nuggets, and up there for one of the best of all time. That has been steady all season, and the sky is the limit with Tatum added to the mix.
Celtics defense has quietly caught up to elite offense
The defense is now quietly almost just as good, as it sits at fourth best in the NBA for the entire season. Not enough has been made about essentially replacing the defense of Anfernee Simons with Jayson Tatum, and how this group basically has no weaknesses. There is nobody to pick on, and no clear liability.
The one question mark would be the lack of scheme versatility, with nothing but drop bigs who struggle to switch. But Boston showed a lot in the win over OKC, with Queta having a strong game, the wings fighting through screens, and plenty of well-timed help. They also now have the option of turning to Tatum at the five when they want to switch everything.
The more this team plays, the more it comes together, and the more it seems like they have no holes. There’s still a lot to prove and a lot of work to do, but their potential and ceiling seem to go up with every passing game.