Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have endured a rollercoaster season thus far. The 2021-22 NBA season started with the Celtics dropping winnable games from commanding positions and reported discontent within the locker room, only for the team to turn their season around at the turn of the year.
As we entered the All-Star break, the Celtics ranked second in defensive rating, just 0.3 points per 100 possessions behind the first placed Golden State Warriors. Sure, Boston’s offense has been patchy this season, but their defensive intensity and diversified ball movement mean that they’re a tough opponent on any given night.
And it’s those incremental improvements throughout the season that has former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins feeling bullish on his former team’s chances for post-season success, providing the Celtics continue to hunker down on defense.
“All of a sudden Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are coming together, they actually look like they enjoy playing with one another. They actually look like they like one another. And when I look at the addition of Derrick White, who by the way was an underrated pickup at the trade deadline by the Boston Celtics, I mean this guy can flat out play, system player, well-coached, knows the game, high-IQ. They have a top-10 center in the NBA in Robert Williams, everything that you need in a center, Robert Williams is doing that and more.
And when I look at how Jayson Tatum is playing right now, he’s playing like a top-5 guy in the NBA, he’s playing with a level of aggression, a level of tenacity, a level of anger, he’s stepping on the floor with other superstars and saying ‘Naw, I’m the best player on the floor,’ and I’m not just talking about scoring, the brother down there using that 6’10’’ frame using them wide shoulders, getting you double-figure rebounds. Now he’s out there making other guys better, I hear him yelling ‘And one,’ yelling at the refs, screaming and flexing at the fans, if you can get this type of Jayson Tatum, along with Jaylen Brown and the others, and Marcus Smart doing his thing facilitating the rock, they could beat any team in the Eastern Conference. They really can, it just depends on what version you get,” Perkins said during a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take.
Udoka’s System is Starting to Pay Dividends
Nobody on the Celtics has endured more scrutiny this season than their rookie Head Coach Ime Udoka. In fairness, some of Boston’s earlier losses were the result of poor rotations and game management. But, Udoka inherited an unbalanced roster that had numerous bad habits ingrained into their DNA.
As the season has worn on, Udoka’s methods have begun to shine through. The Celtics are moving away from being an isolation-heavy offense, and have embraced the “switch everything” defensive gameplan Udoka implemented upon taking the head coaching role.
Our Celtics have taken their defense to the NEXT LEVEL since Christmas 💪
It’s those adjustments that have Stephen A Smith starting to believe that Boston could develop into an Eastern Conference front runner, providing they don’t slip back into old habits throughout the remainder of the season.
“If you talk to coaches around the league, they will tell you that one of the most unpleasant teams to watch at times, were the Boston Celtics. Because the movement of the basketball isn’t there, there’s too much isolation, etc, etc. Now, what they’ve done lately is they’ve elevated their level of defensive play, they will shut you down. And you’ve got Tatum and Brown, and the acquisition of that kid White I think is a huge plus, and getting Theis back was a huge plus as well. But they’ve got to move the ball, they’ve got to be active, and stop standing around and looking for Tatum or Brown to save the day, and they’ll be fine,” Smith said.
The Eastern Conference is Wide Open
The Celtics have 22 games remaining on their schedule and currently sit in sixth place. However, the East is wide open, with the seventh-placed Toronto Raptors only five games out of first.
For reference, the Celtics are 4.5 games outside of the first seed.
Tatum is notorious for upping his level of play after the All-Star break, and Brown has been an ever-improving presence for the last few years. Should the Celtics continue to play their current brand of basketball, and take pride in being a defensive juggernaut, then there is no reason why they can’t challenge for an Eastern Conference banner.
The relentless blood feud between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum reached a boiling point when Jaylen gave him a hug presenting him with a ball commemorating Tatum making the All-Star game. Looks like they’re gonna have to break up the Jays.
Of course, there are other teams who are hoping that their own improvements will stand them in good stead too. The Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls have all seen their seasons slightly derailed for one reason or another, and will be returning from the All-Star break looking to steady their own ship.
Boston might not have the easiest road ahead, but judging by the team Brad Stevens has assembled since moving into a front-office role, this current iteration of the Celtics should be ready to fight for relevancy.