The Celtics threw everything that happened in preseason (minus Jeff Teague being the GOAT) into a trash compactor and lit the whole thing on fire in their season opener vs the Bucks Wednesday night. I’m here to give overreactions and hopefully some thoughtful analysis on the night.
The Jays
I was just about ready to give up on Jayson’s curls at half. I wanted them all gone. It was time to sacrifice beauty for buckets. But thankfully, in a huge W for the Jayson Tatum Curls Fanclub, JT proved the curl naysayers wrong in the second half and along with Jaylen saved the team from a mid-late game 23-8 run. We got to see some vintage Duke Tatum with turn-fades in iso and of course the signature sidestep which happened to be the dagger over Giannis. Unfortunately, it’s still apparent that he lacks decisiveness when faced with finishing over or around a lengthy big man. He missed the glass on a couple lay attempts and, as we’re used to, some floaters. Other times, he just can’t get attempts off the left to roll in at the rim. I’m still never going to be concerned with this, because he does end up making these and it will become even more consistent with time. He looked great finishing in transition as per usual. Post game, he said that he had a bad game. When you’re 22 and consider 30 & 7—not to mention, 46% from three—a bad game (and when most people agree with you), you are poised for an MVP run soon.
Jaylen showed tonight he’s more than capable of operating efficiently in his expanding initiating and playmaking role at 33 points with 5 boards and 4 assists (also a +8). He was on point with kick outs to beyond the arc after driving, showing better vision, decision making, and accuracy. His left handed discus hum may have been the best pass I have ever seen. Jaylen also happened to be deadly from midrange tonight and made an impact on the other end with 2 steals and for the most part clamps. Additionally, JB showed improvements in running pick and roll. It was exciting to see him as the pick and roll ball handler at an increased capacity. From the P&R, we saw him pull up, drive, and pass—options that have come more naturally to him as his game matures.
I think the best part of all of this was the pictures that the Celtics released after JT’s dagger. This is, without a doubt, the greatest picture that has been and ever will be captured. We’ve achieved it.
The New Guys
Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson both had pretty good games. Teague’s debut in particular, which saw him get 19 points, made me very excited for when Kemba is back in the starting lineup. This dude Jeffery continued to shoot 100% from three, a continuation from preseason to accumulate 9 total threes made. He might break the all-time Celtics record in one year on the team and also may never miss ever.
Although Thompson was a -6, he put up 12 and 8 in only 22 minutes and was a dominating physical force in the post. He played with a dog mentality that even my dad noticed. The Celtics now have a set of nesting doll Smarfs, where you have Big Smarf (TT), Smarf, and Little Smarf (FastPP). It seems we may be approaching Bench With Attitude 2.0. Speaking of, it’s pretty foul of the Celtics to let TT take Marcus Morris’ number when they have the same hair and facial hair.
I mean, these are just the same two humans and you cannot tell me otherwise.
Other Random Thoughts
- While I am not surprised, I’m let down by the lack of Tractorman. Of course the Celtics blew the lead that we needed to see his debut. We at least got to see Fast PP pull up and drain from 120 feet out.
- What universe is this where Ojeleye completes a euro and-1? Is this sustainable???? Do I have to delete all my Semi slander???
- Timelord looked pretty good. He had an impressive block and didn’t look entirely lost on defense.
- A two-big man starting lineup was really cool to watch.
- Not a necessarily good sign that Grant was left open on multiple three point attempts with the Bucks practically begging him to shoot. He missed a few, but I’m not concerned with how he performed shooting in the bubble. Theis after hitting his first two saw the same situation. For a moment, I thought he was Daniel “Jeff Teague” Theis, and that we had unlocked the next effective stretch big, but soon he returned to regular form as the law of averages would have it. On the other hand, his shot looks much more natural, he’s quicker to decide to shoot (thus more confident, I’d assume), and has been altered to have pretty form. I mean, he looked like a shooting guard out there.
- The Celtics transition defense in the first quarter was really sloppy. I watched Jrue just wait for a pass upcourt and finish with his left hand about a trillion times and got real tired of it. Fortunately this ended relatively soon thereafter.
Of course, it wasn’t a Celtics game without me trying to reset my heartrate in the last 5 seconds or without a huge lead blown, but that is just life as a Cs fan. And, we got to see it end with the reigning MVP missing a free throw granted from a foul I know Tommy would be yelling at.
The Closeout 