Jaylen Brown under control, Jayson Tatum, more: 10 things we learned as Boston Celtics defeat Toronto RaptorsThe Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors 95-94 on Sunday, getting key stops down the stretch against DeMar DeRozan to close out their 12th consecutive win.
Here are 10 things we learned from one of the more entertaining games of the season.
Jaylen Brown is a lot better when he's under control.
Brown's first two shots were a pair of mid-range jumpers, both curling off screens. Neither seemed rushed or bothered — Brown simply rose, took his time and fired, cashing in Boston's first two baskets of the game.
One of Brown's biggest flaws — still — is his tendency to be out of control at times. He's only in his second year, but he has struggled to bring his skill set up to speed alongside his ridiculous athleticism, and the result can be some ugly shots and turnovers.
On Sunday, however, Brown was in control. He finished with 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting and was a positive two-way force, defending well and contributing offensively.
Playing basketball against Aron Baynes looks ... uncomfortable.Aron Baynes' flailing limbs have now connected with a few different players — both on the Celtics and on other teams around the league — and we can draw one important conclusion: Playing against Aron Baynes doesn't seem like it would be any fun at all.
The most applicable moment on Sunday was a jump ball in the second quarter: Baynes and Ibaka both came down with a rebound, and Baynes wrestled Ibaka to the floor, landing on top of the Raptors' big man with some force. Technically, the play was not a foul. It also looked like it hurt quite a bit.
Baynes is a bruiser, seemingly in a very literal sense.
The difference when Al Horford is on the court is palpable.
All that stuff about Jaylen Brown playing in control? Much of that was aided by Al Horford, who returned from his concussion and looked exactly as good as ever, if not better.
Horford was 8-for-9 from the field with 21 points and four assists. His presence collapsed the defense, and while he only took one 3-pointer, he attacked the rim hard on closeouts and was extremely effective off the bounce.
Al Horford is so good. There's a reason why many fans consider him the MVP of the team so far, and while the case isn't cut and dry, it's a lot more reasonable than many might think. Horford makes everyone around him better, and it is by no means a stretch to say that Boston's 11-game winning streak probably doesn't reach 12 if he wasn't on the court Sunday.
AP Photo/John Bazemore
Daniel Theis would have made a huge difference on last year's team.Last year's Celtics team lacked two major things defensively: Rim protection and rebounding. In 14 NBA games, Daniel Theis has proved he can do a surprisingly significant amount of both.
Theis finished with just two points on a tip in against Toronto, but he pitched in eight rebounds — many of which were contested — and two blocks. He is fantastic at staying vertical, and his length and athleticism allow him to go get rebounds few others could bring down.
"His rim protection has been good the whole time," Stevens said. "He had a couple of key plays there in the fourth quarter and then, just his energy. The way that he tips balls, he keeps balls alive. He had one tip in that he may have tipped, somebody else may have tipped, who knows. But he’s always going. He plays with a high motor. You can cover up for a lot of sins when you play with a high motor."
AP Photo/Winslow Townson
In Kyrie Irving's absence, the Celtics are scoring by committee.
The Celtics had five players in double figures on Sunday, and a sixth — Marcus Morris — had eight points. A seventh player — Daniel Theis — barely scored, but he was a crucial part of the rotation.
Stevens said he expects Irving back sooner rather than later, since the only injury is to his face (he didn't have concussion symptoms, which is good news for everyone involved). Obviously, he adds a vital dynamic to Boston's offense — it's possible the Celtics would have won more comfortably with someone like Irving around to score in the final minutes. But the Celtics are working with something here, and it seems even missing an MVP candidate isn't enough to throw it off.
Terry Rozier's infusion of energy is incredibly important.We wrote about Rozier's work ethic earlier here, but it's also worth noting how much he brings to the table with his energy. Marcus Smart enters the game and offers a steady hand at point guard and tons of defensive intensity. Rozier is just a match in a gas can, speeding up and down the court and wrecking defensive havoc.
Offensively, he's learning how to affect the game at multiple levels — shooting, getting to the rim and taking advantage of a collapsed defense. There's such a long way to go — despite his impressive layup Sunday, he is in the 10th percentile at the rim for his position at 39 percent — but he is proving how thoroughly he can affect the game.
Jayson Tatum has the potential to be an elite closer.Again, we wrote about this here, but expanding a little: It's not that Tatum is going to be the team's go-to closer down the stretch. It's that the Celtics have several players they can potentially turn to, and Tatum is another one (and next year, they will have another player in Gordon Hayward who slots above Tatum as well).
Tatum is an incredibly versatile offensive threat, capable of doing damage in a lot of different ways. The Celtics have a lot of players like that, and while the results haven't shown statistically yet — Boston's offensive rating is just 17th — the potential is there to build something very difficult to stop.
Defending DeMar DeRozan is easier with length.Last season, DeMar DeRozan seemed completely unstoppable whenever he played the Celtics. He only tallied 24 the first time they matched up, but he posted 41 and 43 the second two, and both times, he was able to create whatever shot he want, scoring over smaller defenders including Avery Bradley and Smart.
Brown didn't always have an easy time defending DeRozan on Sunday, but he was a lot better suited for it than last year's team. Both Brown and DeRozan are essentially the same height and length, and Brown is nearly as athletic as DeRozan. The three-time All-Star is crafty and found his way to the free-throw line, but having someone as tall as Brown — as well as Horford, whenever he was switched onto him — seemed to make a big difference.
DeRozan is a really talented player. He gets to his spot as well as just about anyone in the league, and his athleticism is top shelf among some of the most top-shelf athletes in the world. If the Celtics meet the Raptors in a seven-game series, having length and athleticism to force him into inefficient shots will be crucial.
The Raptors' second unit shelled the Celtics.Boston's bench without Marcus Smart, starting in place of Kyrie Irving: -13, -2, -6, -2 and -4. Smart, meanwhile, was predictably the game's highest plus/minus with a +11 while predictably shooting 3-for-10. The man is a marvel.
The Raptors' bench, meanwhile, was nearly all positive, with C.J. Miles leading the way with +17.
Boston needs to get fully healthy for a lot of reasons, but one of them is how tangible the benefits of having Smart come off the bench are. Boston's starters have been impressive, but the team's depth is one of its strengths. Smart helps them maximize the success of the second unit.
AP Photo/Winslow Townson
Celtics/Warriors might be crazy.When DeRozan's final shot fell off the rim and the Celtics officially claimed their 12th win, the Garden crowd was as loud as I've heard it this season. Sunday's game was tense the entire way through, and even without the team's highest-profile player, it was evident Celtics fans desperately wanted a win.
On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors come to town. It will be a circus, especially if Boston takes care of business against a pesky Brooklyn Nets team on Tuesday. The defending champions would be trying to end a 13-game winning streak against an up-and-coming challenger in the Eastern Conference that employs Kyrie Irving, the player who hit the shot that ruined a 73-win season.
Interest in this Celtics team is reaching a fever pitch. Thursday's game might be the breaking point.
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