No Jayson Tatum? No problem.
Sans the services of their four-time All-NBA First Teamer, the Boston Celtics have masterfully navigated through what was supposed to be a “gap year”, increasingly proving themselves to be true championship contenders.
At this point, whether or not Tatum returns doesn’t matter. We’re nearly 60 games into the season; that’s more than a big enough sample size to turn skeptics into believers.
Let’s take a look at the numbers, shall we?
Heading into Wednesday night’s road tilt in Denver, the Celtics sat comfortably at 38-19, good for the second best record in the Eastern Conference. Their net rating (8.0) is second in the league behind only the reigning champion OKC Thunder (11.5), while their offensive rating (120.0) ranks second behind the Nuggets (120.9).
A team that struggled mightily in the rebounding department early on this season has skyrocketed to third in the association in second chance points per game (17.4), and they’ve thrived on the intangibles, currently setting the standard in screen assists per game (9.9).
The scariest thing is that Boston keeps getting better and better. Regardless of the rotation, head coach Joe Mazzulla is trotting out lineups that are playing with confidence and purpose. Everyone knows their roles, nobody is taking plays off, and the result has been some beautiful basketball on both ends of the floor.
Five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown has thrust himself firmly into the MVP conversation with career-high marks across the board (29.2 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 4.9 apg.). He’s certainly lived up to the lofty “alpha” expectations placed on him prior to the Tatum-less campaign’s start.
Derrick White remains one of the more underappreciated talents in the league and Payton Pritchard has been a scoring machine since returning to a lead bench role. Despite his smaller stature, Pritchard’s ability to burn defenders in one-on-one scenarios is virtually second to none.
In recent games, Boston embarrassed a good Lakers team on their home floor before using an absurd 50-11 run to turn a double-digit deficit into a runaway victory over the Phoenix Suns two nights later.
The Celtics may not quite rival the Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli-led San Antonio Spurs in terms of their ball movement, but in today’s game there’s no team that’s more unselfish. Yes, they’re still shooting a ton of 3-pointers, but they’re also flourishing in the paint (2nd in league in restricted area FG%) and knocking down mid-range jumpers at a high clip.
On the other end, Boston has gradually climbed the ranks and is up to No. 7 in team defensive rating (112.0) — thanks in large part to a stingy run of holding opponents under 100 points in seven of their last 12 games (including three such efforts under 90). All that while regularly relying on young guys like rookie Hugo Gonzalez, sophomore Baylor Scheierman and third-year man Jordan Walsh for key minutes.
When you look at the standings, there’s no team in the Eastern Conference that Boston should fear.
Budding superstar Cade Cunningham and his first-place Detroit Pistons have been terrific, but they lack the championship experience that the Celtics so visibly possess. That matters big time in the playoffs.
The third-place Knicks are fun and have actually had the Celtics number in recent matchups, but they have yet to establish a true identity under first-year head coach Mike Brown.
Cleveland is the next obvious contender, and they’ve played great since trading for aging star James Harden. But “The Beard” isn’t exactly known for his postseason success, and it remains to be seen if he’ll truly put the Cavs over the top.
Philadelphia is a dangerous team with a healthy Joel Embiid, but banking on him remaining on the floor come playoff time is a risky wager. Then there’s the Magic, Heat, Hawks, Hornets and even Bucks, all of whom are hovering around the .500 mark and have done nothing impressive enough to be considered a true threat.
Does Jayson Tatum make Boston a better team? No question.
But at this juncture, with the way the Celtics have played without him, they don’t necessarily need him to make a real run.
So much for a bridge year, huh?
Nick Giannino covers the Boston Celtics for CNHI Sports Boston. Contact him at NGiannino@nobmg.com.