Tatum, Brown net superlatives
CLEVELAND — Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was pleased to see All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both receive recognition on Monday, Tatum as the Eastern Conference player of the month and Brown as player of the week.
Those honors typically go to players scoring a lot of points for a team winning a lot of games; Tatum and Brown both qualify, with 47 between them in Tuesday’s shocking loss to the Cavaliers. Mazzulla said it’s important to see that their contributions go beyond the box score.
“I think they both go about it the right way to where they play defense, to where they want to execute,” Mazzulla said. “They want to be team players, but we also need them to be who they are, you know, superstars and guys that can dominate the game for us.
“I appreciate how they went about it. I think they’re both redefining what it means to be valuable and what it means to be the better players in the league because of their ability to affect the game in other ways.”
Brown and Tatum both enjoy the challenge of guarding the opponent’s best player, a role that does not always go to elite scorers.
Mazzulla said when an elite offensive player does not embrace or thrive in these roles, it can create areas of weakness as the team tries to overcompensate with double teams or unconventional matchups.
“I think your two best players, having your best players take pride in defense, is a sign of leadership and is a reason why we are who we are,” Mazzulla said. “We have a whole group of guys who take pride in defense.”
More than talent
The Celtics have pushed to the top of the NBA primarily behind their unusual amount of talent, but Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff says there is more to it. It’s obvious to him that each player on the team has embraced a role and is playing with confidence.
“They know who they are, they know how talented they are, but they allow each other to be successful in their own spaces and don’t step on each other’s toes, and they do the job to support each other to make sure that they’re successful,” Bickerstaff said.
“Those guys Tatum and Brown could shoot every shot if they wanted to. But when you watch them, they do a great job of making the extra pass to make sure Jrue Holiday and Derrick White and those guys are getting their shots.
“So there’s a selflessness to them, but also a level of confidence in what they’re capable of doing.”
Mitchell sidelined
The Cavaliers were without star guard Donovan Mitchell on Tuesday. Mitchell is expected to miss at least three games after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to treat a bone bruise in his left knee.