The Boston Celtics are currently 16–5 which is good for first in the Eastern Conference. They are currently one game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the NBA but do boast the best point differential in the NBA. This is mainly due to the prowess of arguably the best starting five in basketball. The Celtics have just beaten the New York Knicks as I’m writing this article, and it’s the start of a five-game homestand. The Celtics have completely retooled their roster and coaching staff over the summer, so they haven’t fully hit their stride yet, but it’s only December, so they still have time. Without further ado, let’s dive into the starting five grades!
Jayson Tatum: A-
Jayson Tatum is having another stellar season, to nobody’s surprise. The seventh-year forward is currently averaging around 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game on roughly 61% true shooting. While he isn’t averaging the 30 PPG he was last year, he has still seen improvements in his scoring arsenal. The most notable being his in-between game which has been a weakness of his up till now. Tatum surpassed 40% from the mid-range area for the first time in his career last year, and now he’s at 45%. For reference, Devin Booker, one of the best mid-range shooters in the game is shooting 44% and Jalen Brunson is also shooting around 45%. It is worth noting that both Booker and Brunson have taken way more mid-range shots than Tatum has thus far and the mid-range is still something Tatum doesn’t go to very often. However, it’s undeniable that Tatum has progressed in this area and it makes his scoring that much harder to scheme against. It has also done wonders for his isolation scoring, which has been bad compared to other high-volume scorers. So far, he is third in the NBA in isolation PPG, averaging 5.7 PPG on 46% shooting, only behind Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in volume (though Tatum has been the more efficient iso scorer than Doncic). That mark of 5.7 PPG is higher than the likes of Kevin Durant (5.1 PPG on 40% shooting) and Joel Embiid (5.4 PPG on 53% shooting). If you were wondering, Tatum averaged 4.3 isolation PPG on 35% shooting from the field last year. Another thing that has been prevalent that many Celtics fans have noticed is that Tatum is now operating in the post more often. This was something many of us had begged of him and the Celtics over the past year since he already could operate in this area, but the Celtics coaching staff didn’t take advantage of it. As a Celtics fan, I would like to see Tatum work in the post more, as I feel that he is still underutilized in that regard. Now, I still have some issues with Tatum’s offense. The biggest of those issues is his pull-up shooting, it is a major weakness in his game since it’s something that he goes to a lot. He is once again shooting below 30% on his pull-up 3’s and that accounts for roughly 5 out of 8 of his 3PT attempts per game. It’s concerning because, since 2020, his pull-up jumper has gotten worse every year. Tatum also has been driving to the basket less, but he is getting to the rim at around the same rate as he did last year, and his increase in mid-range shots also plays a part in his decrease in driving, though it hurts his free throw rates. I would like him to drive to the basket more, but I also understand that it’s very important for him to find balance in his scoring approach and dominate from all three levels. The turnovers have also been an issue with Tatum’s game and the fact that he’s Boston’s best option at “point guard” is pretty concerning since he already has his shortcomings as a facilitator. This isn’t to say that he’s an incapable playmaker because that would be a lie. He’s quite good in that regard, but not someone you’d want as a lead initiator. Joe Mazzulla and his staff are still in that “experimental” stage, so you’ll see Tatum used as a ball-screener, decoy, and whatnot.
I like the second clip above because it showcases how lethal Tatum is and how defenses treat him. Although Tatum does not directly participate in this play, he still plays a crucial role in it. In this clip, Boston goes into a delay set, and Jaylen Brown curls over a fake dribble handoff before receiving a bounce pass from Kristaps Porzingis. When Brown is going downhill, the weak-side defender can’t really rotate over to defend him, as that would create a wide-open corner 3 for Tatum. This is also due to the strength of Boston’s offensive weapons, which forces defenses to make tough decisions. To sum it up, Tatum’s position in the weak-side corner guarantees offense at the rim.
Defensively, I’ve heard people say that he hasn’t been good this year, but that’s also a lie. His motor isn’t as high in the regular season, especially early on, but he offers so much on that end. For starters, he’s by far the Celtics’ best defensive rebounder which is important when your front-court partner is Kristaps Porzingis. It also gives the Celtics lineup flexibility, allowing him to slot into the power forward spot. Aside from elite rebounding, Tatum is an outstanding isolation defender with great anticipation and is super switchable. His off-ball defense has been elite for quite some time now, being a great rim protector for his position. I expect Tatum to elevate his defensive play come playoff time.
Overall, while Tatum hasn’t been quite as good as we thought he’d be, he has still been one of the NBA’s very best two-way players. At this point, it’s unrealistic to ask him to lower his pull-up volume, and increase his 3PT percentages as well as his assists per game. However, I do want more inside-the-arc scoring opportunities for him. I wouldn’t mind him getting around 4 or 5 post touches per game, which is around big-man volume, but he’s that good.
Jaylen Brown: C-
I’d give Jaylen Brown a lower grade, but he has been better in recent weeks. This season has not been kind to him, as he just unfairly received his very first ejection vs the Knicks in Boston’s most recent game. I think a large reason why Brown hasn’t been as great is because of his regression in finishing. So far, he is shooting roughly 63% at the rim on 5 attempts per game. This is a very low mark for him, considering he’s usually a sub-70 percent finisher who gets to the rim more than 5 times per game. This can be attributed to him inexplicably missing routine shots that he should make. However, Brown’s shot selection in general has been bad this year. He takes awfully difficult shots, especially in the mid-range area. His 3-ball has also regressed somehow, being a 33% shooter on around his normal volume of 7 attempts per game. It’s no secret that Brown is one of the league’s best scorers in transition who’ll throw quick changes of direction at you and his body control is great. He does a good job of positioning himself away from the ball in these scenarios, similar to a wide receiver running down the field. A lot of this has to do with Brown’s athleticism, as he’s very quick and strong with a sky-high vertical. To his credit, he is third in the NBA in transition PPG at 7.4, only trailing Donovan Mitchell (8.4 PPG) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (7.6). However, Brown’s transition efficiency has tanked. Last year, Brown converted 63% of his shots in transition which is an elite mark, but that rate has declined by 11%, which is very concerning considering that Brown takes the most transition shots per game. Brown’s mark is the second lowest out of anyone in the top-10 in transition PPG, trailing only De’Aaron Fox who doesn’t get out in transition as nearly as much as Brown does. As a playmaker, Brown has shown flashes of growth, developing a nice two-man game with Kristaps Porzingis, and is a much better lob passer than I thought. However, the processing speed is still slow and he still suffers from tunnel vision. Off the ball is where Brown is really good, especially as a cutter. The staple of the Celtics’ early offense over the years has been a fake DHO flowing into a Brown backdoor cut, and that’s the play I showed in the clip I had posted earlier. He isn’t a great shooter off the catch, but he is a solid screener and elite play-finisher. By trimming the fat in his game, I expect Jaylen Brown to get back to that All-Star form.
Kristaps Porzingis: B+
Kristaps Porzingis has done a fairly good job in his role in the ggames he’s played thus far. Offensively, he’s been so effective, even in a smaller role. He’s an insanely efficient post-scorer but on relatively low volume. Porzingis is around the top of the league in post-up efficiency for the second year in a row, and a lot of that has to do with his height and length. He’s a massive target inside the arc and his 7’6 wingspan makes it impossible to contest his shots. His presence alone allows Boston to dive deeper into their playbook since he’s such a unique scoring talent. Porzingis is obviously a great floor spacer at his position and size, pulling rim protectors away from the paint and he moves away from the ball very fluidly at his size. Since he isn’t the strongest player, he does struggle in certain matchups due to lack of physicality. I’ve also been quite impressed with KP’s playmaking out of the post. Over the years, he’s shown improvements as a hub and someone you can run your offense through. Perhaps, one of the biggest storylines for Boston has been Porzingis’s synergy with Jaylen Brown. Porzingis’s ability to space the floor, screen, and pass compliments Brown’s athletic ability to get downhill perfectly.
Pretty much the same play here in this clip that you saw in the last one. Celtics go into a delay set that starts much further out and then Porzingis fakes the DHO after receiving the initial pass from Brown, who then curls and receives the sweet pocket pass from KP and finishes.
Here’s another play and while it doesn’t quite encapsulate Porzingis and Brown’s two-man game, it’s a clip that shows how crucial KP is vs tougher opponents. Here, the Heat are in a zone and for those of you who remember, that zone has given the Celtics offense fits over the years. However, Porzingis is a massive target who operates in the middle of the floor. So, as soon as he gets the pass from Tatum (Herro has no chance in this situation), the zone breaks, forcing multiple players to slide over and help, resulting in a wide open corner three for Brown.
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of KP’s game is his defense. He is primarily a drop big but has shown the mobility necessary to drop higher. Since he’s a 7’3 big man, it’s natural to assume he’s a great rim protector. However, he doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is at blowing up shots at the rim. He is quicker laterally than I initially thought and he covers a massive amount of ground, so he’s been fairly effective as a switch defender. It’s really impressive to see how comfortable Porzingis has been when on an island vs a quicker player and opposing players tend to shoot 3’s when Porzingis is switched onto them because the idea of trying to beat a 7’3 big with a 7’6 wingspan is…well, daunting.
Here is a nice subtle play from the IST game vs Brooklyn. Dinwiddie and DFS go into a pick-and-pop, and the DFS screen momentarily takes Brown out of the play. Porzingis sees this and knows that DFS is more likely to shoot a 3 than roll to the rim, so Porzingis calls for a switch. Dinwiddie thinks it’s sweet now that he’s got a “slower” big man on him, but gets absolutely nowhere.
Another subtle play here in the second clip below, Brooklyn runs a split action (Cam Johnson comes off the down screen from Dennis Smith and then receives the DHO from DFS), and both screens momentarily take Brown out of the play, so Brooklyn gets the switch on KP who does a masterful job of recovering and moving laterally to drastically alter Johnson’s shot attempt.
Now this isn’t to say that Porzingis doesn’t have his shortcomings on the defensive end. The biggest holdup being his defensive rebounding. He is currently averaging 5 defensive rebounds per game this year which is lower than what you’d want from a traditional anchor big. Porzingis has a weak center of gravity and isn’t very strong, but he does a good job of boxing out making pathway for his teammates to come down with the rebound. Like I mentioned earlier, Porzingis is vulnerable to physical big men with tons of strength and athleticism, so opponents will get into his chest and initiate contact, which sort of explains why Porzingis has often found himself in foul trouble. Lastly, while he is much better outside the paint than given credit for, he’s still not someone you’d want on the perimeter for extended periods of time. However, he’s still a key architect of the second best defense in the NBA while being a huge boost for the offense.
Derrick White: B+
This may seem low to a lot of people, but I feel that this grade is fair for Derrick White. These past few games, there’s no denying that he’s been excellent. However, he’s still inconsistent and it’s a blessing that we got Jrue Holiday so that White wouldn’t be thrust into a primary ball-handling role that he’s clearly not cut out for. If you look at his stats, I’ll even admit that they’re way more impressive than I thought. However, he’s still been iffy for most of the season. One thing I’m noticing is that his scoring output is very reliant on 3’s with some spurts of driving. When he does get downhill, he’s actually a pretty nice finisher. However, he’s primarily a stationary shooter whose game is more prone to variance than almost anyone on the Celtics. Then the turnovers have also been an issue of his, especially in closely contested games, he’s prone to fizzling out in the third quarter (a huge reason as to why Boston has struggled mightily in the third) and nearly costing us the games. Well, those are my biggest “dings” of his game and it goes without saying that he does so many great things for the Celtics. He isn’t a flashy guy at all, but he almost always fills a void on a nightly basis. What I mean by this is that, for example, if one of the Jays are struggling as scorers, White will give Boston that juice. When Holiday isn’t playing his best defense, Derrick White will cover him. He’s grown as a passer as well, usually making the correct reads with little to no errors. Defensively, he’s widely regarded as one of the best. He’s arguably the best rim-protecting guard in the NBA and one of the best interior defenders regardless of size or position. He’s also a masterful screen navigator, switch defender, and makes savvy rotations. Like Al Horford, White isn’t someone who is gonna “wow” you with anything, but will contribute in almost every other aspect. White has quietly been one of the best PnR ball-handlers in the league since he got traded to Boston. He’s obviously a great shooter and a nice slasher, but his creation ability has surprised me. Like I said, he’s nowhere near capable of being that “true point guard”, but he is a very cerebral player.
This play shows White’s ability to not only create as a ball-handler in PnR, but also contribute in these situations as a whole. The initial play was a White and Kornet PnR, but the latter doesn’t set the best screen and the play goes nowhere. No worries though, the Celtics reset and White and Tatum run an inverted PnR, with White making the smart short-roll decision as the defense is caving in on White, and Kornet makes the right choice this time by cutting back-door and finishing the lob.
This is another play in which White subtly makes a big difference. Adam broke it down pretty flawlessly, so I won’t speak too much on this play. However, key in on White’s screen as it takes Mitchell Robinson out of the play and frees up KP.
Jrue Holiday: C
I’d be lying to you if I said that Holiday has met/exceeded expectations so far during his time with the Celtics. His offensive struggles as of recent have been a huge talking point amongst basketball fans and they’re quick to jump to conclusions about the trade that saw Boston acquire Holiday from Portland in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, and two first round picks. That is a steep price to pay for a 33 year-old player who has struggled majorly in the playoffs over the last few years, is on a one-year deal, and isn’t “elite” if you will. However, Holiday’s most recent performance vs the Knicks gave me plenty of reason to believe in him. He’s been dealing with a nagging ankle injury from my understanding. He sprained it two weeks ago, I believe and didn’t really have enough time to rest. However, the Celtics just had a 3 day rest and are now in the midst of a 4 day rest. Holiday’s body should be progressing nicely by now and it was evident in Friday’s game. As you all know, Holiday is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and has been for the past decade now, even if he hasn’t been as good as he’s been in the past. He’s great at navigating screens, moving his feet, understanding opponent’s tendencies, and just wreaks havoc with his super active hands and reach. Perhaps the most unique aspect of his defense is that since he’s stronger than your typical guard, he has legitimate utility as an interior defender, and Boston has matched him up against bigger players quite frequently during the season. Holiday’s lower body strength and center of gravity aid him in holding his own vs players twice his size and he even has been a great rim protector, and I’d argue that he’s been Boston’s best defender thus far, anchoring the second best defense in the NBA.
Clips of Holiday excelling vs bigs and guards. His defense has been as good as advertised thus far.
However, it’s not Jrue’s defense that fans have been criticizing, it’s his play on the other end. His shot selection has been spotty for the most part this year and Boston has been too dead set on getting him low-post opportunities when those should be allocated to Tatum or Porzingis. Holiday is shooting 37% from 3 on 4.5 attempts per game and I do feel like his shooting hasn’t been as good as the stats say. However, it’s his two-point scoring and lack of free throw attempts that have really dinged his production as a scorer. However, scoring isn’t the only way to contribute offensively. For starters, Holiday has been very good on the offensive glass, averaging a bit under 2 offensive rebounds per game as a guard. His aforementioned strength and center of gravity help him box out effectively and set strong screens. He’s a strong passer and playmaker above all who doesn’t commit too many errors. Despite all of these things, he’s still been subpar offensively as a whole this season, but against the Knicks last night, I saw a completely different version of Jrue Holiday. The one all of us Celtics fans expected to see when the Celtics traded for him. He was aggressive all night, comfortably shooting inside the arc, and making plays out of traps. Holiday can most definitely be better on both ends this year, no denying that, but I have faith in him and no doubt that he’ll elevate his game over the course of the season.
Stats are found on Basketball Reference, NBA.com, and cleaningtheglass.com
