Suns (39-28) at Celtics (44-23) Game #68 3/16/26

[slamtheking]

Discussion between Eddie and Drew: is JB a lock for 1st Team All-NBA?

Pending health he should be, right??

I think if Jokic and Wemby meet the minimum, JB is the odd man out. My five would be Jokic, Wemby, Luka, SGA and Cade.  If any of them don't get to 65 games, the JB is in. I like the rule. Say what you will about it, I don't think either of the first two I mentioned would be playing as much as they have recently if they weren't trying to qualify for awards.

Luka might get the nod, but I prefer guys who play both ends.  Also, JB's team has done more with a lesser roster.

agreed.  JB's defensive efforts should not be overlooked.  I think even with D disregarded, JB deserves it more than Luka this year.  JB carried the team to the 4th best record in the league without Tatum and no one else on the active roster as good as Luka's running mate Bron

[ozgod]

With 15 games to go, I think 9-6 or 10-5 is very realistic. That would have us finishing with 53-54 wins. That is INSANE considering the expectations going in, and also having started 0-3 

Not just that they?ll win mid 50s. They win mid-50s and have JT back for the playoffs. It?s been a magical, amazing season. Idk how any of you would estimate JTs %, but I think he?s already 85-90%, with 15 games left.  May not get to 100% but he?s going to be close.

I have to look at his advanced stats to see how what % of the ball he is driving vs what % are pullups and what % are 3s but the eye test tells me he's still settling for 3s and jumpshots more so than attacking the basket. Or when he is, he is driving and kicking out to shooters, which is a good thing, because he's being unselfish and using his gravity - the defense has to respect the player he was, not the player he currently is, so they have to help on his drives, and it leaves the likes of Hauser, White and PP open.

It does seem to me though that he is doing that in a way to avoid contact at the rim. If you look at his raw stats this year compared to previous years, in 4 games (before this one) he is averaging 2.3 FTA vs 6-8 FTA over the last 3-4 years.



I will qualify it by saying it's a small sample size AND he's coming back from an injury that for many lesser athletes is a career ending injury. Kobe came back after his and he wasn't the same. KD was, but he's more of a jump shooter, Tatum attacks the rim a lot more. He did a few times tonight and cashed in but he also had some bad misses. It's very early so it's most likely just lack of conditioning, lack of lift, because there were definitely occasions, like when he turned the corner and blew by Booker for a layup that his explosiveness, his first step, was clearly there, but there are other occasions where he seems out of puff.

I'm very hesitant to criticize since I was one of the ones who said we needed to give him a long rope to begin with, given what he was coming back from, and we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that he even came back this season at all, and right now he's playing a solid role as a above average rotation player who can drive and kick, pass out to shooters and rebound, or shoot himself. He can still get a bucket if you need him to, he just needs to do it in other ways than he has in the past, and great players adapt, they find ways to continue to affect the game. And hopefully these next 14 games he gets a long enough runway to do that. Right now I would say he's around 70-75%, which is impressive with a stat line of 20ppg, 8rpg, 4.5apg in under 30 mins a game.

[Vermont Green]

I agree that Tatum appears to be passing out of drives more (I have no stats to back this up).  He is dishing to shooters or to Queta for dunks.  As you said, not a bad thing.  The FTA being down for Tatum is interesting.  I think Brown is taking more of those end of shot clock attempts and he is getting fouled more, at least last night.

I would say that Tatum is still feeling things out.  Overall he looks really good to me, so I am not worried.  Things are going to be different.  The whole team is different.  Brown is different.  Still, 4-1 in games Tatum has played (loss to SAS, sat out OKC), and Tatum is +9 per game in those games, in spite of inefficient shooting.

[jpotter33]

https://x.com/noadalzell/status/2033738216742793261?s=46

Asked Jaylen Brown if he feels like he?s been able to improve individually this season:

?For sure. And I've been able to be in this in a role where I'd be able to kind of control things, and everybody's kind of playing off me. I've been in those roles seldom over the years, but this year, for an extended amount of time, I've been able to be in that position. And it's honestly, I feel like I still have a lot of room to grow. I feel like even now over the last couple of games, I've adjusted my game, and I'm still continuing to get better in my playmaking ability, seeing the floor, taking my time, all of that stuff is still continuing to improve, but it's honestly ? it's my first opportunity in my career where I've been able to do this for an extended period of time. And obviously, regardless, people are going to have their critiques and their criticism, but it's just it's a completely different flow when people play off you or when you play off others. It?s two completely different things. From people watching the game, you just think, like, ?just roll the ball out, and everything's supposed to work great. Players are all supposed to fit together.? It doesn't always work like that. Sometimes you got to take a backseat, or sometimes you got to play more offball. So everything shifts. But this year, I've been able to play at my own pace, and I've been able to control my own destiny.?

Not going to lie, when JB says stuff like this - and there were several other similar quotes from last night - I do really wonder if this will really work moving forward starting next year when JT gets back to fully healthy. He?s always had such a chip on his shoulder and felt like like he?s been relegated too much to a backseat role, despite having near 1A level usage for many teams. I think it?ll work out the rest of this season as JT works his way back, but I am skeptical that if JT gets back to fully healthy next season that this may become an issue, primarily for JB.

https://x.com/realbobmanning/status/2033739264937083365?s=46

Asked Brown about sacrificing to fit Tatum in amid career yr: ?It takes some humility. It takes understanding. I think JT is extremely important for what we want to do. Obviously, I?m having a great season but I just have to think about the big picture. Sometimes it?s not easy but I always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first. It?s kind of a feel thing?it might take some time, when to be aggressive, how do teams guard? Re-assessing all that stuff is different, this team is different, but it?s been ok. We?ve found ways to win we gotta continue to do that. We got some games left. It?s not gonna be perfect. I think we could?ve won in a better fashion against the Suns, but it?s gonna take a little bit of that growth?I gotta be patient, everybody gotta?this is not the best version that you are watching.?

Edit: Another one: https://x.com/celticsclns/status/2033746485687271513?s=46

Jaylen Brown on how much fun he is having this year:

?It?s been a great year? I?ve always felt like I could be one of the top players in the world, giving the opportunity. I feel like I got to display that this season.?

[aefgogreen]

https://x.com/noadalzell/status/2033738216742793261?s=46

Asked Jaylen Brown if he feels like he?s been able to improve individually this season:

?For sure. And I've been able to be in this in a role where I'd be able to kind of control things, and everybody's kind of playing off me. I've been in those roles seldom over the years, but this year, for an extended amount of time, I've been able to be in that position. And it's honestly, I feel like I still have a lot of room to grow. I feel like even now over the last couple of games, I've adjusted my game, and I'm still continuing to get better in my playmaking ability, seeing the floor, taking my time, all of that stuff is still continuing to improve, but it's honestly ? it's my first opportunity in my career where I've been able to do this for an extended period of time. And obviously, regardless, people are going to have their critiques and their criticism, but it's just it's a completely different flow when people play off you or when you play off others. It?s two completely different things. From people watching the game, you just think, like, ?just roll the ball out, and everything's supposed to work great. Players are all supposed to fit together.? It doesn't always work like that. Sometimes you got to take a backseat, or sometimes you got to play more offball. So everything shifts. But this year, I've been able to play at my own pace, and I've been able to control my own destiny.?

Not going to lie, when JB says stuff like this - and there were several other similar quotes from last night - I do really wonder if this will really work moving forward starting next year when JT gets back to fully healthy. He?s always had such a chip on his shoulder and felt like like he?s been relegated too much to a backseat role, despite having near 1A level usage for many teams. I think it?ll work out the rest of this season as JT works his way back, but I am skeptical that if JT gets back to fully healthy next season that this may become an issue, primarily for JB.

https://x.com/realbobmanning/status/2033739264937083365?s=46

Asked Brown about sacrificing to fit Tatum in amid career yr: ?It takes some humility. It takes understanding. I think JT is extremely important for what we want to do. Obviously, I?m having a great season but I just have to think about the big picture. Sometimes it?s not easy but I always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first. It?s kind of a feel thing?it might take some time, when to be aggressive, how do teams guard? Re-assessing all that stuff is different, this team is different, but it?s been ok. We?ve found ways to win we gotta continue to do that. We got some games left. It?s not gonna be perfect. I think we could?ve won in a better fashion against the Suns, but it?s gonna take a little bit of that growth?I gotta be patient, everybody gotta?this is not the best version that you are watching.?

I think it all comes down to what JB wants. He understands that as long as Tatum is playing, the team will be centered around him.  If JB is ok with this, he'll play the 1A. But he may decide he wants to be the man and will ask the team to see about other opportunities for him. I'd hate to see him go, but understand. He's dealt with all the trade rumors, all the questioning if him and Tatum could play together, and all the doubters that he had it in him. And I can't recall him ever lashing out.  He's earned the right to choose the next step in his path.

[Neurotic Guy]

https://x.com/noadalzell/status/2033738216742793261?s=46

Asked Jaylen Brown if he feels like he?s been able to improve individually this season:

?For sure. And I've been able to be in this in a role where I'd be able to kind of control things, and everybody's kind of playing off me. I've been in those roles seldom over the years, but this year, for an extended amount of time, I've been able to be in that position. And it's honestly, I feel like I still have a lot of room to grow. I feel like even now over the last couple of games, I've adjusted my game, and I'm still continuing to get better in my playmaking ability, seeing the floor, taking my time, all of that stuff is still continuing to improve, but it's honestly ? it's my first opportunity in my career where I've been able to do this for an extended period of time. And obviously, regardless, people are going to have their critiques and their criticism, but it's just it's a completely different flow when people play off you or when you play off others. It?s two completely different things. From people watching the game, you just think, like, ?just roll the ball out, and everything's supposed to work great. Players are all supposed to fit together.? It doesn't always work like that. Sometimes you got to take a backseat, or sometimes you got to play more offball. So everything shifts. But this year, I've been able to play at my own pace, and I've been able to control my own destiny.?

Not going to lie, when JB says stuff like this - and there were several other similar quotes from last night - I do really wonder if this will really work moving forward starting next year when JT gets back to fully healthy. He?s always had such a chip on his shoulder and felt like like he?s been relegated too much to a backseat role, despite having near 1A level usage for many teams. I think it?ll work out the rest of this season as JT works his way back, but I am skeptical that if JT gets back to fully healthy next season that this may become an issue, primarily for JB.

https://x.com/realbobmanning/status/2033739264937083365?s=46

Asked Brown about sacrificing to fit Tatum in amid career yr: ?It takes some humility. It takes understanding. I think JT is extremely important for what we want to do. Obviously, I?m having a great season but I just have to think about the big picture. Sometimes it?s not easy but I always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first. It?s kind of a feel thing?it might take some time, when to be aggressive, how do teams guard? Re-assessing all that stuff is different, this team is different, but it?s been ok. We?ve found ways to win we gotta continue to do that. We got some games left. It?s not gonna be perfect. I think we could?ve won in a better fashion against the Suns, but it?s gonna take a little bit of that growth?I gotta be patient, everybody gotta?this is not the best version that you are watching.?

Edit: Another one: https://x.com/celticsclns/status/2033746485687271513?s=46

Jaylen Brown on how much fun he is having this year:

?It?s been a great year? I?ve always felt like I could be one of the top players in the world, giving the opportunity. I feel like I got to display that this season.?

It doesn't worry me much. At least not yet.  I think JB is smart enough and mature enough to know that any player who is a team's #1 or #2 will take on a bigger role if their running mate is out.  He's embraced the new role by being more aggressive in the lane, by expanding his playmaking skills, and by taking on more responsibility defensively.  And obviously, he's been better and more valuable. This will make the team better overall once JT acclimates fully. But I think he knows that this team (ANY team) is better when their top two players are working in synch than when only one of the two is playing, or, when either are operating in self-promotion mode.     

[Phantom255x]

Ultimately, some of this will also depend on how the playoffs go and what happens. Jaylen is having an extraordinary season and has made strides regardless. But if you get to some close playoff games and he can't deliver in the 4th while Tatum is able to, then the conversation swings again. Both guys have played together for 8+ years now and learned to adjust/sacrifice as needed so I'm not worried about that.

At the end of the day, I still think in the playoffs Tatum will be capable of impacting games, even if it means drawing attention and opening up things for other players. If it was just Jaylen, teams would try doubling or even just suffocating him and forcing him into quick decisions and it could become ugly especially after the first round.

For the rest of the regular season though, I think a lot of it will be Jaylen running the show, and Tatum continuing to get his feet wet and getting acclimated to just playing. The 4th quarter yesterday was a bit weird as it seemed the team iced Tatum out entirely even when Jaylen wasn't involved in a play, but maybe JT is still getting some conditioning back and was willing to just be a decoy?

One thing is for sure though, Tatum coming back has really unleashed White again. He has been great since JT returned which I don't think is a coincidence. It's opened up things for him too.

[Vermont Green]

Some stats from the game:

Tatum + Brown        28 min   +14
Tatum, No Brown       4 min      -3
Brown, No Tatum     12 min      -5
No Tatum or Brown    4 min     +4

So Tatum and Brown together is the best.  The next best is with neither (small sample size).  Brown or Tatum without the other is not so good.

[ozgod]

https://x.com/noadalzell/status/2033738216742793261?s=46

Asked Jaylen Brown if he feels like he?s been able to improve individually this season:

?For sure. And I've been able to be in this in a role where I'd be able to kind of control things, and everybody's kind of playing off me. I've been in those roles seldom over the years, but this year, for an extended amount of time, I've been able to be in that position. And it's honestly, I feel like I still have a lot of room to grow. I feel like even now over the last couple of games, I've adjusted my game, and I'm still continuing to get better in my playmaking ability, seeing the floor, taking my time, all of that stuff is still continuing to improve, but it's honestly ? it's my first opportunity in my career where I've been able to do this for an extended period of time. And obviously, regardless, people are going to have their critiques and their criticism, but it's just it's a completely different flow when people play off you or when you play off others. It?s two completely different things. From people watching the game, you just think, like, ?just roll the ball out, and everything's supposed to work great. Players are all supposed to fit together.? It doesn't always work like that. Sometimes you got to take a backseat, or sometimes you got to play more offball. So everything shifts. But this year, I've been able to play at my own pace, and I've been able to control my own destiny.?

Not going to lie, when JB says stuff like this - and there were several other similar quotes from last night - I do really wonder if this will really work moving forward starting next year when JT gets back to fully healthy. He?s always had such a chip on his shoulder and felt like like he?s been relegated too much to a backseat role, despite having near 1A level usage for many teams. I think it?ll work out the rest of this season as JT works his way back, but I am skeptical that if JT gets back to fully healthy next season that this may become an issue, primarily for JB.

https://x.com/realbobmanning/status/2033739264937083365?s=46

Asked Brown about sacrificing to fit Tatum in amid career yr: ?It takes some humility. It takes understanding. I think JT is extremely important for what we want to do. Obviously, I?m having a great season but I just have to think about the big picture. Sometimes it?s not easy but I always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first. It?s kind of a feel thing?it might take some time, when to be aggressive, how do teams guard? Re-assessing all that stuff is different, this team is different, but it?s been ok. We?ve found ways to win we gotta continue to do that. We got some games left. It?s not gonna be perfect. I think we could?ve won in a better fashion against the Suns, but it?s gonna take a little bit of that growth?I gotta be patient, everybody gotta?this is not the best version that you are watching.?

Edit: Another one: https://x.com/celticsclns/status/2033746485687271513?s=46

Jaylen Brown on how much fun he is having this year:

?It?s been a great year? I?ve always felt like I could be one of the top players in the world, giving the opportunity. I feel like I got to display that this season.?

It doesn't worry me much. At least not yet.  I think JB is smart enough and mature enough to know that any player who is a team's #1 or #2 will take on a bigger role if their running mate is out.  He's embraced the new role by being more aggressive in the lane, by expanding his playmaking skills, and by taking on more responsibility defensively.  And obviously, he's been better and more valuable. This will make the team better overall once JT acclimates fully. But I think he knows that this team (ANY team) is better when their top two players are working in synch than when only one of the two is playing, or, when either are operating in self-promotion mode.   

I thought about this last night and I'm ok with it. We're all thinking, how will JB adapt to Tatum's return. I started thinking, what if we flipped it around? Shouldn't JT have to be the one to adapt to JB, and Derrick, and PP, and Q taking on bigger roles and flourishing? In a way it's kind of like when Gordon came back after his injury, he had to fit around the Jays emergence, as well as that of Rozier, Smart and Mook. He's the one coming into a team that has been winning, that has chemistry. And so far I think he's doing ok, he's trying to play within himself, passing more, driving and kicking because a) he's not that great at finishing yet and b) the defense has to respect the player he was, not the player he is right now, which leaves open shooters. For the balance of this year our hierarchy will definitely have JB at the top.

Longer term I think they will figure it out. Reporters will always post out-of-context clickbait like those that make it look like JB is trying to be a glory hog, but if you look at the evidence over the past 8 years, they've more than proven they can play together, sacrifice together. Noa Dalzell has a good article on Celticblog, I will post some snippets:

The team had just lost Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to trades and Al Horford and Luke Kornet to free agency. Jayson Tatum was on crutches, and for the first time in years, the feeling around basketball in Boston was somber.

In that lengthy conversation, Brown shared how, over the years, he sometimes took a back seat, something he felt most players of his caliber in the NBA haven?t had to do. But, as he stressed multiple times, he was okay with it: it was all in pursuit of a championship, the thing that was most important to him in the world.

?I?m extremely grateful that we won a championship,? Brown said then. ?I?m extremely grateful that we?ve been able to have success, and that?s what it?s about.?

He talked about how important being a primary creator has been for his development.

One major factor behind this leap is that this season, Brown has overwhelmingly been the Celtics? primary creator for the first time.

?I?ve been able to be in this in a role where I?ve been able to control things, and everybody?s kind of playing off me,? Brown said. ?I?ve been in those roles seldom over the years, but this year, for an extended amount of time, I?ve been able to be in that position.?

To viewers at home, the difference between being the primary creator and the secondary creator might not look as stark as it feels. But, for Brown ? a player who sometimes very clearly enters a flow state on the offensive end? it?s night and day.

?People are going to have their critiques and their criticism, but it?s just a completely different flow when people play off you, or when you play off others,? he said. ?It?s two completely different things. For people watching the game, you just think, like, ?just roll the ball out, and everything?s supposed to work great. Players are all supposed to fit together.? It doesn?t always work like that. Sometimes, you got to take a backseat, or sometimes you got to play more off-ball. So, everything shifts.?

?I?ve been able to play at my own pace. And I?ve been able to control my own destiny.?

Still, as well as things have gone, he feels like he has a lot of room to grow.

?I feel like even now, over the last couple of games, I?ve adjusted my game,? he said. ?And I?m still continuing to get better in my playmaking ability, seeing the floor, taking my time, all of that stuff is still continuing to improve.?

And he knows that it will change with JT back.

With Jayson Tatum back in the lineup, he?ll once again share the floor with his co-star. Brown is candid: accepting that his role will change as a result takes humility, and isn?t always easy.

But he understands that what?s at stake is a championship.

?JT is extremely important to us for what we want to do,? Brown said. ?Obviously, I?m having a great season, but then I have to just think: what?s the big picture??

And, just like he told me back in July, as much as he feels confident in his own abilities, individual accolades aren?t what drive him.

?I always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first,? Brown said.

https://www.celticsblog.com/celtics-features-profiles/135514/jaylen-brown-phoenix-suns-mvp

It's understandable to be concerned, but I think we are fortunate in having two of the most unselfish stars in the game. Rather than saying "there's 1 top dog spot and will they both fight for it" I'm thinking "isn't it great that now we have two top dogs, if one of them gets doubled or isn't feeling it that night we have another to fall back on".

Why would it work? Because they are both unselfish and humble. Tatum openly wondering if he should come back this season because he didn't want to mess up the team's chemistry shows his humility. And Brown taking a back seat for eight years when he could display more is a sign of his. We are fortunate to have both of them with that mindset.