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Without Robert Williams, the Boston Celtics have been experimenting with their frontcourt rotation, and for a while, it seemed like Noah Vonleh was the odd man out.
However, during the Celtics’ November 5 victory over the New York Knicks, Vonleh was bought in from the cold and provided a stern presence on the defensive glass, leading Jayson Tatum to praise the recent addition during his post-game press conference.
“Noah came in and gave us some big minutes. And I think that’s not talked about enough. You know, it’s hard, not playing, and Noah works his a** off every day, and honestly, he never probably knows when he’s going to play. And then, a night like tonight, we don’t got Luke (Kornet), we don’t got Rob (Williams) and Al, and he gotta come in, and help us win a game, and he did. Offensive rebounds, setting screens, he knocked down a three, so, that was big, and I’m happy he got an opportunity to contribute tonight,” Tatum said.
In 16 minutes of play, Vonleh provided the Celtics with seven points and seven rebounds while shooting 75% from the field.
Tatum Praises Celtics Offense
While Boston’s defense might be struggling to start the season, their offense has been among the best in the NBA, ranking 2nd in the league for offensive rating. During his post-game press conference, Tatum praised Boston’s improvements on the offensive end of the floor.
“I think we’ve started off as a much better offensive team this year than we did last season, and just trying to get our defense to match. And, obviously, Rob (Williams) is a big part of that, and not having him there presents some challenges that we’ve gotta figure out on a nightly basis. But, from the offensive standpoint, I think that’s just a carryover from the end of last season. You know, we’ve got most of the same guys, so the message is kind of the same, and being familiar with the things we’re just trying to accomplish,” Tatum said.
Under interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics are playing at a higher pace on offense while also incorporating some new wrinkles into their offensive scheme, and currently, they look like an unstoppable force when attacking opposing defenses.
Tatum’s Playing Close to an MVP Level
We might only be nine games into the new season, but it’s clear that Tatum’s game has taken another step forward on both ends of the floor. According to Cleaning The Glass, Tatum is showing an improvement in finishing around the rim – shooting 80% – and is also hurting teams from deep, hitting 37% of his corner threes and 38% from deep overall. Furthermore, Tatum is currently averaging 131.9 points per 100 shots, ranking him in the 27th percentile among wings in the NBA.
Tatum is currently averaging 30.3 points, eight rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field, 38.3% from deep, and 90.4% from the free-throw line. If the 24-year-old can sustain that level of offensive production while continuing to prove himself as a legitimate wing stopper as a passing lane pest, then there’s no reason why he can’t be in the running for the title of Most Valuable Player come the end of the season.
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