The Celtics Stuffed The Red Hot Grizzlies In Their Back Pocket For Another Big Time Blowout
Coming off that orgasmic win against the Lakers on Monday night, I feel like we all had the same wish when it came to last nigh's date with the red hot Grizzlies. It would have been a classic spot for a letdown performance that would have been frustrating and honestly taken a little bit away from that win over LAL. We've seen this team have mental lapses like that before over the years, and it's not like they've been all that consistent in 2020 so it was a reasonable concern.
Instead, we were blessed with our second blowout in as many tries. The final score doesn't even really tell the whole story since this team basically pulled everyone for the fourth quarter. The Celtics largest lead in this game was 38 points, they had a 23-2 run to close out the second half and it ballooned to a 52-12 run when it was all said and done. Suddenly this team looks a whole lot more like the team we saw in the first 33 games, you now the one that was swarming on defense, moving the ball, playing with great energy and honestly playing Celtics basketball. The Grizzlies were averaging 123 a night this month and the duo of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr were destroying teams. The Celts came out and stuffed them both in a locker and completely took them out of the game which is not something I saw coming.
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What I am not going to do is say that this team has officially turned a corner from their 2-6 disaster stretch. Talk to me after this little three game road trip. If they are able to win in MIA who is 20-1 at home and come out of that trip 2-1 or even 3-0, well then I'll start entertaining the idea that they have turned this thing around. For now, this win showed me that when this team is locked in and plays with the right focus, they are tough as hell to beat. They avoided the letdown which was nice, they earned some well deserved in game load management, so now I'm curious if they can do this consistently.
But before we worry about that, it's time to enjoy what we witnessed last night
The Good
- When Jayson Tatum started the season and couldn't make a layup, it made no sense. I mean even the worst players in the NBA can make a layup and yet Tatum shot something terrible like 50% from the restricted area. Not exactly what we were expecting. Well, I have some good news for you. Since November 15th, Tatum is up to 63.8% in the restricted area. That's basically on par with Jaylen (63.9%) and trails only Hayward (75%) in terms of wings finishing at the rim. It's made a HUGE difference in his offensive production because now he's adding the 4-6 points he kept leaving on the board by missing all those layups and the proof is in the pudding
We're seeing a much more engaged Tatum on the offensive end, this now marks the 3rd straight game he's notched at least 20 points and 50% shooting, and his shooting splits have started to come back to where we all expected them to be. He was a 44/38% shooter in December and is a 47/37% shooter so far in January while pretty much being a lock for a consistent 20/7/3 every single night. His personal run in that second quarter is what started to give the Celts some separation and this was one of those nights where I had no problem with the fact that Tatum took 18 FGA, which was double what any other starter took. It didn't feel like things were forced, it was just his night offensively.
But what makes Tatum so valuable is what he brings on both ends. He finished the night with a 70.9 Drtg (!!!!!!!!!!), completely owned every matchup he had on that end, had a couple steals and a block all in just 26 minutes. Nights like this are why people cum themselves over this two way potential, and it's no surprise this team is at its best when Tatum is at his.
- There are a ton of things to love about Marcus Smart. Maybe you're someone who loves his defense, maybe you love his knack for making winning plays. Maybe you're crazy and love his three point shooting. For me, it's always come down to one thing that I love above all else when it comes to Marcus. His passing. I feel confident in saying he's the best passer on this team, and when he goes into Playmaker Marcus mode it's better than sex. The pass he had against the Lakers was ridiculous, and he backed that up last night with a couple that make you shake your head. It's why he can be such a weapon even on nights where his shot isn't falling. He's unselfish and he gives no fucks. He passes without fear and when it connects, boy is it beautiful
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6 assists 0 TOs and a team best +35. If that isn't your classic Marcus Smart performance then I don't know what is.
- It's crazy that when this team moves the ball, the Basketball Gods reward them. A total of 32 assists on 45 FGM, this was ball movement porn. You could almost argue that the Celts were maybe over passing but I won't. I just love to see this team move the ball and get away from clog the toilet offense. Five players with at least 4 assists is what gives me a reason to live.
- I will never take for granted the fact that YouTube did not lie to me when it came to Daniel Theis. He is everything we hoped he would be once Ainge brought him in. His defense is legit, his rim protection is ELITE, and the versatility he brings this lineup cannot be overstated once Horford left.
He is giving this team like 80% of what Horford did last season at a fraction of the cost. He doesn't complain, he knows his role, and he plays like a 10 year vet. The ability for him to stretch the floor is what is going to make him a matchup problem, and the way he actually protects the rim despite being 6'8 makes no sense but it's not a fluke. He's been blocking everything since the season started and it's why I will never understand why this team wants a big. Address other needs first because Theis/Kanter have been fantastic.
- I hate to be the bearer of bad news for everyone that hates Gordon Hayward for some reason, but he's back to looking like a real NBA player again
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A little bit of everything in his 28 minutes, he was a +29, made some threes, was aggressive and explosive at the rim, and remains one of the best playmakers this team has. He's the key to everything in my opinion, when he plays well and is locked in this team reaches another level and it does look like he's snapped out of his little funk he had while this team looked like shit. Good to see him bounce back like this with the LAL performance and now this after blowing that layup against the Suns.
- When this team defends at a high level, it's curtains for you.
- It feels weird because it is not a life we are used to watching this team, but I don't hate the strategy to just blow teams out. Way less stressful than what we are used to. Even when this team went on an offensive drought, their defense was so good I didn't even mind. This is just my two cents, but I recommend they continue this approach moving forward.
- If this sequence doesn't bring you joy and make you love Javonte Green you're either dead or blind
Listen to Mike Gorman! That is a man that has seen everything and he couldn't believe what he just witnessed.
- Won the rebounding battle, won the points in the paint battle, won the second chance points battle, won the fast break points battle. Do that and things tend to work out for you.
- Very quietly we've seen Semi give this team some solid minutes. It's not just that he's making his threes either, we're seeing his defense show up consistently and as we know if you defend Brad is going to play you.
It was also great to see Carsen finally knock down some shots. If anyone needs to see the ball go in it's him.
- The Celtics shot 68/85% in the third quarter. Holy shit.
The Bad
- Still not the best start offensively. A tough 41/25% to get things going, it gave you the early sense that this was going to be a dogfight. I didn't exactly love Smart's shot selection early but what else is new. Him and Kemba starting 1-10 certainly was not ideal and I also didn't love how Hayward only got 1 FGA in 10 minutes of early action.
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- Speaking of Kemba, he was a nonfactor offensively which was weird to see, it wasn't his night shooting the ball but what I did appreciate was that he didn't force things. I think that's the one of the biggest things I've been impressed with when it comes to Kemba. He doesn't give a shit about FGA. He took 13 against the Lakers and only 9 in this game. The best part? Quotes like this
But I think we all agree that for this team to have any sort of sustained success, we need Kemba to be an efficient scorer.
- Very annoying we just had back to back blowouts and got 0 minutes from Tacko and only 2 minutes from Romeo because they are in Maine. That is some shit luck.
The Ugly
- Yeah so the all bench lineup didn't exactly look all that great in the fourth quarter. Just 20 points and 38/25% shooting, we've certainly seen better basketball. But when it's rookies and end of bench guys that's pretty much what you can expect.
- I don't know who I have to talk to but something needs to be done about this team and injuries. Already without Jaylen, dealing with Gordon all year and now Tatum fucking up his dick muscle and Kanter hurting his foot it's enough already. Is it too much to ask to be allowed to see what this team looks like at 100% for an extended period of time? I love the Hospital Celtics as much as the next guy but this is getting a little out of hand.
The early reports on Tatum last night sounded encouraging, but christ this team cannot catch a break.
It's amazing what can back to back blowouts against two good teams can do for the morale of this team and Celtics fans everywhere, and I'm just happy this team showed the ability to build any sort of momentum. Like I said in the top of the blog this next 3 game trip will give us a better idea of how real this all is, but man has the last 72 hours been fun as hell.