Tatum turns heads with 3-point shot
DETROIT — Jayson Tatum, all 19 years of him, made 3-of-5 shots from 3-point range yesterday, the last of them a clutch dagger from the right sideline to stretch the Celtics lead to eight with 1:55 left in what became a 91-81 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
In so doing, Tatum cemented his league lead in 3-point percentage to .523.
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy smiled before the game when asked about the rookie.
“OK, I’m not surprised,” Van Gundy said. “I thought he was the best prospect in the draft. He’s got all the tools. But what’s changed ... anybody who says they’re not surprised by his 3-point shooting based on what he did in college is lying. I mean, if there’s somebody who said, ‘Oh, look, I knew he’d knock down 50 percent of his 3’s,’ even though he made 32 percent of them from the college line, they’re lying. And I’m sure there’s somebody saying that, that they knew. But they’re lying.
“But everything else was there — his ability to put the ball on the floor and get shots. He’s got a real poise to him. He’s better defensively than people think. He’s long. He’s really, really good, and I’m sorry he’s there for the next however many years.”
Cracked Brad Stevens when told of Van Gundy’s comments, “He’s probably called me a liar before. No, I mean there’s only so many people that shoot it at that level. Even though he’s shooting it great, obviously that level is reserved for great, great shooters. So you wouldn’t predict that with any young guy.”
As for getting Tatum to take more 3’s, Stevens said, “I think one of our challenges this summer was everybody wanted to talk about the mid-range plays he made in summer league. So it was one of those things where, if I was involved in a film session at all this summer, it was about what a good shot looks like when you get to the NBA. And so we tried to have those very specific film sessions, but still you can’t predict a guy is going to become that proficient.
“He still can play in the midrange. We still want him to take good mid-range shots, but we have tried to make it an emphasis to not hesitate to shoot. He’s so tall that, on the catch, he can get that shot off, and his inclination has probably always been to fake it and drive it. But he shoots it with ease and feels good every time he shoots it.”
Big motivation
We’ve noted here since shortly after Gordon Hayward fractured his left ankle, and surgery revealed nothing out of the ordinary, that it was quite possible he could make it back this season. It was noted, too, that part of the reason the Celts have been saying Hayward is out for the year is they don’t want to put pressure on him or introduce any cause for disappointment should he suffer a rehab setback.
But things came into a clearer light with a very good story by the Globe in yesterday’s editions. For the first time, Hayward admitted he was using a possible return this season as a goal.
Said Stevens yesterday of Hayward, “We’re certainly not going to put limitations on what he tries to do. That being said, we’re not planning on him.
“All that is really good because it indicates that he feels really good about where he’s headed and he should — and that he’s going to be fully healthy when he does get back out on the court, which he should.
“So that’s the positive of it, but we don’t want to put that on him, and so we’re assuming that that will not be the case.”
Pain in the knee
Marcus Morris sat out against the Pistons with continued knee soreness, and the team also ruled him out tonight against the Bulls.
“It’s kind of an ongoing thing, and after the second half of the San Antonio game it didn’t feel as good again, didn’t feel better yesterday,” said Stevens.
As for the longer term, the coach said, “I don’t know yet. We’re going to reevaluate it Tuesday when we get home.”
How you doing?
Old pal Avery Bradley had 12 points for the Pistons.
“Everything’s impressed us, but it wasn’t anything that we didn’t know,” said Van Gundy. “I think the thing you never know for sure — you know, you hope you’ve done your homework, but you never know for sure — is the type of person you’re getting and how he approaches his work and everything else.
“We had nothing but good reports on him, and that’s proven to be even better than we thought. I mean, this guy’s as good a pro as I’ve been around in 20-plus years in the league. I mean, comes in every day, does his work, is always focused, takes care of himself, smart ... it’s all been great.”