Three Takeaways From Celtics Win On Ring Night
Why Can't Tatum Be MVP?
It’s a scary thought for the rest of the NBA, but Jayson Tatum likely hasn’t hit his peak yet. A year ago he was coming off his best statistical year in 2023 averaging 30.1 points per game, the most in a season in Celtics history. Then Tatum added some hardware to his trophy collection this summer with an NBA Finals championship ring and Banner 18 raised in TD Garden forever. Could an MVP trophy be the next addition to his growing trophy collection?
Tatum averaged just under 27 points per game last season in the Celtics' campaign for Banner 18. He has shown he is well capable of being a volume scorer and carrying Boston’s offense at times. Tatum took a step back last year, however, as the team integrated new pieces Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
Now with Porzingis sidelined to start the season until December at the earliest, everyone will have to pick up the slack. Tatum got off to a scorching start to the 2024-25 season with a 37-point, 10-assist masterpiece after the Celtics raised their newest banner to the rafters.
Tatum averaged a career-high 4.6 assists per game a season ago. If his scoring and assist rates both go up, and the Celtics capture the 1st seed in the East, Tatum could be firmly in the MVP discussions.
Boston is a well-rounded team, with an All-NBA caliber player in Jaylen Brown and three former All-Stars in Holiday, Porzingis, and Horford surrounding Tatum. He is still the best player on the best team in the NBA, orchestrating Boston's offense as a point forward. Tatum will always be the opposing team's number-one issue on the scouring report.
Tatum will likely represent his Celtics on First Team All-NBA and the MVP ballots once again this season. If he has the counting stats of other top candidates, such as Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Dončić will have to be seen.
The East Will Struggle To Matchup With The Celtics
The New York Knicks felt confident in their summer acquisitions ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season opener. While it is still much too early to judge this new-look Knicks roster, the early returns matching up against the defending champions aren’t great.
What the Knicks and other teams seeing Boston on their schedule are scrambling to do is have the matchups to go against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. New York re-signed OG Anunoby to a massive contract over the summer as he is one of the league's premiere wing defenders. They also were able to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade, one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA.
Both looked helpless to defend the bigger-bodied Tatum as he had his way all night on Tuesday. Tatum got to the hoop, nailed a couple of mid-range fadeaways, and drained 8/11 three-pointers en route to a Celtics win. Either the Knicks need to scheme up better ways to stop Brown and Tatum, or Anunoby and Bridges will have a long season guarding those two.
The Bucks, 76ers, Heat, or whoever else wants to get out of the East must know they will need bodies to match up with Boston after watching opening night. The Celtics play within their offensive system to share the basketball and get everyone involved, but defenses still have to worry about stopping Brown and Tatum first and foremost.
Derrick White All-Star Leap
Derrick White has integrated himself so well into this Celtics team that it feels strange there was a time in Boston without him. White made a leap in the 2023-24 season, his second full stint with the Celtics since being acquired at the trade deadline in 2022. He upped his scoring by three points compared to his previous season and shot 40% from three for Boston on nearly seven attempts per game.
White has bonded on and off the court with his Celtics teammates and their closeness is evident. After smashing his tooth into the parquet floor during the NBA Finals clinching game 5, Jaylen Brown tried to lessen the tension of the game as he approached White.
“Ohh, you sho’ is ugly,” Brown joked to White referencing his newly chipped tooth. White had to fight to hold back a smile as it was still causing him some pain.
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White are usually the last two Celtics to run out of the pregame tunnel together onto the court. White and his backcourt partner Jrue Holiday are always in constant communication about defensive matchups. He is the glue that holds the team together, not just with all the little plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but by being that reminder that it's okay to have fun out there playing basketball.
As White’s familiarity with the Celtics system has increased over his tenure in Boston, his production has skyrocketed as well. He had his moments during the Celtics championship run, including a 38-point gem in the first round in Miami against the Heat.
In Tuesday’s season opener and ring night, White connected on 6 of his 10 three-point attempts. He finished the night with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in only 27 minutes played.
White just barely missed tying a career-high in points per game last season, averaging 15.2 a night. He shot 39.6% from three and averaged over a block and a steal per game. He could be in store for an even bigger season if Boston needs to lean on him more in 2024-25.
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