Tatum runs show
Walker sits due to load management
If one of Jayson Tatum’s goals is to make his teammates better, there won’t be many chances as demanding as the one this week.
CELTICS NOTEBOOK
Tatum was one of the primary ballhandling options heading into Wednesday’s game in Sacramento, with Kemba Walker missing the game for load management purposes and Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard out due to injury. Pritchard is now considered day-to-day in his recovery from a sprained right knee, and may be available for Friday’s game against the Clippers.
But in the meantime look for the ball to be in Tatum’s hands even more than usual, including when it’s time to bring the ball up the floor, in addition to Jeff Teague and Tremont Waters.
“He brings it up occasionally in each game, but certainly that would be more likely (against Sacramento),” said coach Brad Stevens. “We’re pretty small as it is at times in that position. We got a lot of small guys that we can kind of rotate through. It’s hard sometimes to play two of those guys together. There will be times where we’ll be big with Jayson at the 1 tonight and there will be times where we’ll play those other guys.”
Bouncing back
Walker’s response to his 1-for-12 performance last Saturday against the Lakers — a disappointing night that admittedly bothered the Celtics guard — was to simply attack with more conviction while scoring 19 points Tuesday against Golden State.
“I would definitely say that. I’m a little disappointed obviously, but it happens,” he said. “I’m not perfect — I wish I was, but you know. After the tough ones you just gotta find a way to bounce back.
“That’s what this league is all about, that’s what this game is all about,” said Walker. “You have to keep your head down. It’s a long season, and the possibility of me having more like that. So I just want to stay positive as best as I can. My coaches and teammates are positive as well. I just wanted to come out, be aggressive and help us get a win.”
After sitting out Wednesday’s game in Sacramento as part of his knee strengthening program, Walker will take the court again Friday night against the Clippers in the Staples Center. Though, like his teammates, Walker had a marginal shooting night against the Warriors (6-for-18, 7-for-30 in his last two games), he’s at least scoring again — and attacking.
“It felt good to see the ball go in. But I just want to be aggressive,” he said. “I just thought (Saturday night), I wasn’t aggressive. That was a problem. So I just want to get back to just trying to find myself and play the way I know I’m capable of playing.”
Waiting on stars
If the NBA wants to have a 2021 All-Star game, and it appears the league and players association both agree that the event can be pulled off this year in a one-day format, then Stevens isn’t going to argue. He stands to have two players — Tatum and impending first-timer Jaylen Brown — in the mix.
He also trusts the league to run such an event properly, with success last season in the Orlando bubble the standard for how to do things right.
“It’s good for the game in a lot of ways to have that,” said Stevens. “I know it’s a big moment, as far as fans engagement. It’s obviously an honor to be considered for those type of awards and I certainly think those guys that you’re talking about are deserving.
“As far as like choosing to have a game while we’re going through and putting on all these new rules and regulations and everything else with what we can do and can’t do and everything else, I think that there’s probably going to be the same amount of emphasis and focus put on the health for that, and I certainly would hope so. Obviously getting there and having that game and making sure everybody gets back safely, maintaining all the standards and protocols are going to be really important. I think that, there’s a reason they want to have it. I believe the NBA will find a way to do it safely.”