Tatum preps for more attention
Defenses will be focused on C’s star
Jayson Tatum is leaving it up to others to decide what constitutes being labeled an NBA superstar and whether or not he fits that bill.
But one obvious sign that a player has achieved that status, or is on his way to it, is when the opposition makes him a major focal point of its defensive game plan.
Tatum, now just 22 and entering his fourth season with the Celtics, admits he has already started to see that happen.
“I kind of felt like it was trending that way during the (2020) playoffs, just seeing a lot more attention level, double-teams, blitzing,” said Tatum during a Wednesday Zoom session with the media.
Coming off his first AllStar and All-NBA season, Tatum has solidified himself as the top name on the opponent’s scouting report. He is the Celts’ No. 1 option and on the short list of top scorers in the league. The forward will be commanding enormous amounts of attention in the 2020-21 season and beyond, and he knows it.
It’ll be especially true in the beginning of the season as the C’s navigate their new rotation without injured AllStar point guard Kemba Walker and forward Gordon Hayward, who bolted for Charlotte in free agency.
Tatum’s approach is to try to impact the game as much as he can in areas outside of scoring.
“I think it just has to elevate my playmaking ability,” said Tatum. “Just my ability to make plays and make the game easier for the guys around me.”
Tatum had an off night in Tuesday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. He had 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting (0-for-4 from deep), four rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes of action in the 108-99 loss.
Tatum saw his points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game increase in each of his first three seasons in the league. Last season, he averaged 23.4 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the regular season. He upped those numbers to 25.7, 10 and 5 in 17 playoff games.
He’s also added 10 pounds to his frame, which will help him shoulder more of the load this season.
“I don’t really get caught up into, technically, being a superstar,” Tatum said. “I just feel like each year I want to improve, I want to continue to get better. I don’t put a ceiling on where I’m trying to get to. I want to be one of the best, I want to be one of the best to play this game, I want to be one of the best in the game.”
Hard day’s work
The Celtics originally didn’t plan on having much of a practice on Wednesday. But after head coach Brad Stevens got a good look at the film from the loss to the Sixers, it was clear there was a lot to work on.
The C’s shot just 43.4% from the floor, had 19 turnovers, and too many offensive possessions were plagued by isolations.
“To be successful, we have to play with the right emphasis on offense and the right emphasis on defense,” said Stevens. “So we saw several times last night where we fell short of a standard with regard to pace and execution, screening, cutting, playing off one another, and ended up with bad possessions and ended up with long periods of iso. And then on the other end, there were a few things that we can clean up.”
With a significant snow storm expected to hit overnight and into Thursday, the Celtics decided to go a lot longer and harder at Wednesday’s practice than previously anticipated.
“Guys got loose, guys got after it, and I thought we played better today than we did last night, which is encouraging,” said Stevens.
Adjusting to new game
First-round draft pick Aaron Nesmith was solid in his NBA preseason debut with eight points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. He also added a blocked shot.
Nesmith said it was “fun” to be out there. He didn’t appear in the contest until the third quarter, but was able to get his shot off, including five attempts from 3-point land (with one make).
The learning curve has been accelerated for rookies like Nesmith and fellow first-rounder Payton Pritchard, who were drafted last month and have very minimal time to prepare for the rigors of an NBA season that will take place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Just adjusting to the game. Different level of competition, different speed,” said Nesmith. “Being tossed in pretty fast and having to learn pretty fast, the head spins every now and then. It’s just how quickly and how well you can slow the game down. Help your teammates out, help win games and make winning plays.”
At 6-foot-6, 213 pounds, Nesmith enters the league with an NBA-ready body and jump shot. But the adjustment still takes time.
“It depends. It can take years, it can take months, everybody is a little bit different,” said Stevens. “I think that when you’re able to acquire people who have played in the league for a long time, they have a general corporate knowledge of the league...
“Tristan Thompson has played against the other 29 teams. He knows, generally, what they like to do, he probably knows a lot of their play calls, historically. He is well-versed on defending different ways against different teams, so when he joins a new team, he’s got an idea, at least, on what you’re trying to do. He may not know the exact calls. Same with a Jeff Teague — those guys have been through it, played in different places for different coaches. It’s easier for them. You’re adding — on top of the new game, the fasterpaced game and a new playbook, new defensive terminology — you’re adding to that a new schedule where practice is different, games come quicker, travel is crazy.
“This is a unique time. Obviously, the testing requirements and the way that we have to operate in our facility makes it very unique for everybody. But I’m sure that it really stands out to the youngest players that weren’t part of the (Disney World) bubble.”