With Jayson Tatum back in a groove post-Achilles repair and less than two weeks until the start of playoffs, the Celtics boast the best duo in the Eastern Conference.
The stats, the record, and the awards back it up.
Jaylen Brown earned Eastern Conference player of the week for leading the Celtics to a 3-0 tear to kick off April. He averaged 31.7 points and 4.6 rebounds against three other in-conference opponents: Miami, Milwaukee, and Toronto.
The NBA recognized the other Jay – Jayson Tatum – just one week prior with the same honor. Tatum averaged 20.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists over three games during that week, which included a win over the league’s reigning champs.
Things couldn’t be going better for Boston this spring. Talking heads, (and the man himself, on one podcast), wondered how Tatum, a point-forward hybrid, would fit into the offense that hummed along without him for most of the season.
The answer? With the exception of a few hiccups, the offense has looked smooth and both stars have demonstrated even stronger playmaking abilities than previously showcased in their All-NBA careers.
Nobody ever doubted that Brown could get downhill offensively. His power and physicality in the paint have never been a problem, and it’s often added a refreshing look to a league dominated by long-distance shooting. But back-to-back five-turnover performances in Games 5 and 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals seemed to haunt the guard, who has since said he struggled with an injury to his left hand that inhibited his handle.
Brown’s handle has gotten exponentially stronger over the last three seasons, but his court vision is the real gamechanger. In situations where he previously found himself trapped by three defenders, he’s now seeing more than one outlet or option as he drives, allowing him to move a step ahead of his opposing defenses. The numbers bear it out: while his 2-point shooting percentage this season hasn’t reached previous heights, he’s averaging the highest assists-per-game he’s ever had.
Tatum is an even more fascinating case. Is it possible his time on the bench as he recovered from his Achilles rupture allowed him to see the court differently? He flirted with back-to-back triple-doubles over the weekend – a mark that would have been a first in his career. He’s always been a stronger facilitator than he's gotten credit for, and he’s averaging his second-most assists-per-game in his career, (5.2). He struggled with his shot consistency a bit during the first couple weeks back on the floor post-injury, which may have motivated him to find other ways to contribute as he worked out kinks. It’s no coincidence he’s been all over the glass this spring and averaged the most rebounds in his career. But his game also looks different, in a way that suggests he’s seeing play from a new perspective. When he promised through ad campaigns that he’d “never be the same again,” I’m not sure we thought he’d be a triple-double grabber, but it’s a nice, early development.
The Celtics will battle through this final stretch of the regular season to hold onto the Number 2 seed in the East, and that may hinge on Thursday’s game at Madison Square Garden. It will be the first time Tatum plays on the court where he suffered his injury last spring. His emotions and performance hold just as much intrigue as the matchup between two of the true favorites to come out of the East: the Celtics and the Knicks.
Brown recently reiterated, on his Twitch livestream, that losing to New York in the second round of last year’s playoffs, “Felt like death.”
If the Celtics’ two stars continue this hot play through the next few months, they’re poised for quite the resurrection.
