Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Still, there are other ways to contribute. Tatum worked his way to the line nine times and pulled down 10 rebounds. According to the NBA’s stats site, Tatum contested by far the most shots of any Celtic with 14 (six of which were threes, which require a tighter closeout), and he was credited with two deflections.
“I didn’t shoot it as well as I would have liked to,” Tatum said. “For me, I think my next step as a player — I admire all the top players in the league and how they affect the game if they are not scoring. They just try to help their team win. That’s what I am trying to be, just trying to affect the game any way possible, rebounding, getting a block or trying to get a stop even when your shot isn’t falling, because, at the end of the day, all that matters is whether you win or lose.”
As Jeremy referenced in yesterday’s dump the Celtics seem to still be searching for their identity, and as fans, we aren’t quite sure if we’re seeing the real Celtics yet, or if this maddeningly inconsistent, slightly underachieving bunch is what we’ve got going forward.
One of the biggest struggles of the first few months has been watching guys not named Kyrie and Marcus really figure out their roles. Guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier said all the right things during the pre-season, and they spoke in platitudes during the up-and-down fall months about sacrificing for the team, and staying patient; it all sounded like lip service to me.
This quote from Tatum, however, feels as though it carries some weight. It came after a win in which Tatum dropped 23/10, a solid performance for the burgeoning star, albeit on a rough shooting night. He seemed as though he really was quite proud of the effort he put forth in all aspects of his game, and for a young player like Tatum, that shows in the way he referenced other star players and the way they take pride in doing the little things.
That mindset needs to become ubiquitous up and down this roster as the calendar gets set to turn to January and the Cs become embroiled in a race for playoff positioning in a five team Eastern Conference.
I got the sense from Tatum’s comments that he understands he’s on a star’s trajectory, but it might take another year or two for his own star to shine as bright as it ultimately will. In the meantime, he might as well hone all parts of his game so that when he truly has arrived as a star in the league, he’s seen as more than just an elite scorer, but an elite all-around player.
Each guy on this team has that opportunity to actualize his ceiling as an all-around player. Jaylen Brown can be seen as a consistent, lockdown defender before he’s seen as a viable second scoring option on a competitive basketball team; Terry Rozier can be seen as a fearless primary ball-handler who attacks the teeth of second unit defenses to both get to the line and to set up open shots for others before he’s seen as a legitimate starting point guard in the league. Right now, most of the guys who shone brightest last season and post-season want to shine in exactly the same ways now, and it’s led to them looking as though they’ve regressed.
We’ll see if Tatum continues to live his post-game words, but they’re words that the rest of his teammates should adopt as well: “…at the end of the day, all that matters is whether you win or lose”
On page 2, the Rockets could be down both all-stars tonight
The Houston Rockets might be without their best player and the reigning NBA MVP award winner when they host the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
James Harden is questionable for the matchup because of a bruised left calf, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
NBCSports Boston — Rockets star questionable to play vs. Celtics
I never wish an injury on any player, but if the Rockets want to make the start of a three game, Western Conference road trip a little bit easier I sure wouldn’t complain.
Remember, this exact match-up took place one year ago tomorrow at the Garden sans Chris Paul. The Rockets led by 24 at halftime only to hit 9 second half field goals in a furious Celtics comeback. Paul is out again tonight with what seems like a perpetually cranky hamstring. We’ll see about Harden a bit later today.
The rest of the links:
NBCSports Boston — Al Horford’ return brought Celtics a ‘calming presence’ | Celtics may only have one participant in 2019 all star game
Herald — Celtics notebook: Kyrie Irving’s ability to create space ‘unparalleled’
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