Thing that struck me was how much better the Celtics floor spacing looked right out of the gate. I mean, that's sort of a "well, duh" observation. But that look Hauser got to open the game felt like the most open he's been in an offensive set in weeks.
Glad Tatum got rolling. I was worried for him for a bit. I'll be most curious to see how his driving game develops, and how he holds up defensively. My worst basketball foot injury was a grade 2 ankle sprain. I can relate to babying it for days or weeks after. All the respect in the world to JT for coming back from this.
Crazy how good he looks already. I’m disappointed Vuc got hurt because I was interested to see how they fit together. I’m wondering if Tatum will cover some of Vuc’s warts. Could be an interesting playoff matchup for certain teams.
Great breakdown man! Love your emphasis on a couple things:
• His connection with Queta, which I think can unlock Neemy becoming a legitimate tertiary scorer for this team (or a 3B with a similar output to White)
• The playmaking dimensions he adds not only on-ball, but off-ball - that breakdown of his cutting action to draw two and open up a shot for Derrick was a perfect example
• The defensive rebounding he'll add - if we can manage to be a top 5 rebounding team on both ends, we'll be lethal. Boston thrives on maximizing possession quantity because of the high-value shots we typically generate
- Neemy has developed a ton this season. A 3b scorer is a great way of putting it! Putting the rock above the rim will do a lot for Neemy's offense, as it removes some of the footwork (which he's developing) needed to score in traffic around the rim. It also makes way better use of his size and athleticism on that side of the floor.
-I often think off-ball playmaking is significantly overlooked, along with the processing speed that goes into those off-ball possessions. Tatum, if used in a role that allows/calls for it, could easily become the Celtics' best cutter. Having him run shallow actions will do wonders for Boston's perimeter offense, especially if run in conjunction with ghost, chest or flair actions.
- I've been really impressed with the in-season growth from a rebounding perspective. If Tatum can be a 10+ boards-per-night guy (on average), the Celtics should have no issues cracking (or at least getting near) the top five. And like you say, that relates to both maximizing possessions and controlling the tempo of the game.
Great point on emphasizing Tatum as a cutter - I agree he'd be the most dangerous in that role for us, given his stature is naturally imposing with his combo of size, agility and change of direction.
I would definitely like to see Tatum involved in more actions as a C&S threat or roamer along the free throw line to disorient defenses. He's also an elite skip passer so that would definitely be nurtured in these plays as well.
Thing that struck me was how much better the Celtics floor spacing looked right out of the gate. I mean, that's sort of a "well, duh" observation. But that look Hauser got to open the game felt like the most open he's been in an offensive set in weeks.
Glad Tatum got rolling. I was worried for him for a bit. I'll be most curious to see how his driving game develops, and how he holds up defensively. My worst basketball foot injury was a grade 2 ankle sprain. I can relate to babying it for days or weeks after. All the respect in the world to JT for coming back from this.
Crazy how good he looks already. I’m disappointed Vuc got hurt because I was interested to see how they fit together. I’m wondering if Tatum will cover some of Vuc’s warts. Could be an interesting playoff matchup for certain teams.
love this ty
Great breakdown man! Love your emphasis on a couple things:
• His connection with Queta, which I think can unlock Neemy becoming a legitimate tertiary scorer for this team (or a 3B with a similar output to White)
• The playmaking dimensions he adds not only on-ball, but off-ball - that breakdown of his cutting action to draw two and open up a shot for Derrick was a perfect example
• The defensive rebounding he'll add - if we can manage to be a top 5 rebounding team on both ends, we'll be lethal. Boston thrives on maximizing possession quantity because of the high-value shots we typically generate
Welcome back JT 🫡
Appreciate you and this thoughtful response!
I agree on all fronts.
- Neemy has developed a ton this season. A 3b scorer is a great way of putting it! Putting the rock above the rim will do a lot for Neemy's offense, as it removes some of the footwork (which he's developing) needed to score in traffic around the rim. It also makes way better use of his size and athleticism on that side of the floor.
-I often think off-ball playmaking is significantly overlooked, along with the processing speed that goes into those off-ball possessions. Tatum, if used in a role that allows/calls for it, could easily become the Celtics' best cutter. Having him run shallow actions will do wonders for Boston's perimeter offense, especially if run in conjunction with ghost, chest or flair actions.
- I've been really impressed with the in-season growth from a rebounding perspective. If Tatum can be a 10+ boards-per-night guy (on average), the Celtics should have no issues cracking (or at least getting near) the top five. And like you say, that relates to both maximizing possessions and controlling the tempo of the game.
So great to see him hit the ground running!
Great point on emphasizing Tatum as a cutter - I agree he'd be the most dangerous in that role for us, given his stature is naturally imposing with his combo of size, agility and change of direction.
I would definitely like to see Tatum involved in more actions as a C&S threat or roamer along the free throw line to disorient defenses. He's also an elite skip passer so that would definitely be nurtured in these plays as well.