Back in action: 10 takeaways from Celtics/Bulls

We’re back! That week off felt like a month! Quick programming note for today — at the time of writing, the NBA’s interactive box score hasn’t been updated with clips. I’ve gone back and pulled a couple, mainly from the first half, but for the most part, today’s takeaways will be text-based.

#1 No rust

The Boston Celtics looked ready for the All-Star break two weeks before its arrival. Their performances began to look a little lackadaisical, and their rebounding rapidly declined. That’s ok. It’s a long season. Everybody needs a break sometimes, even star athletes.

Of course, there’s always a concern that comes with taking such breaks. After all, the Celtics may not have been at their best, but they were clearly in rhythm. A seven-day absence can be the worst thing possible when you have everything clicking. However, the Celtics showed no rust as they entered the game. Instead, they looked well-rested.

They executed on defense, ran the court with intent and played with a clear focus on the offensive end. They ended the game with 48.9% shooting from the perimeter and 54.2% from the field. There’s not much to complain about in terms of shot-making and offensive execution.

#2 Jaylen Brown, bully-ball

Jaylen Brown has been excellent when leaning into his strength and athleticism this season. His shot frequency looks like this: 32% at the rim, 38% in the mid-range, and 30% in the 3-point range. There’s a focus on utilizing his strength, pull-up shooting, and athleticism within the offense this season.

We got a great demonstration of this during the second quarter when Brown bully drove his way to the bucket by backing down Ayo Dosunmu with ease.

Brown’s willingness to embrace the more physical aspect of his game and lean into his interior scoring ability has been a significant part of his effectiveness this season. Yes, he’s also showing developments in his passing and his ability to read a defense, but his role as a featured scorer has been getting the best out of him.

The above possession against Dosunmu is a great example of what Brown brings to the Celtics when he’s thriving in his role. Of course, when he is on the perimeter, you are prone to getting moments like this;

His versatile scoring ability is why he’s an All-Star, and it’s why he continues to be one of the most important pieces to Boston’s championship puzzle. Still, I’m enjoying aggressive Jaylen, especially on the interior.

#3 Our first look at Tillman

Coming into the game, I was expecting to see Xavier Tillman for around 10-12 minutes. He’s coming off an injury. Being on a minute restriction made sense. However, given the physicality of Andre Drummond and Nikola Vucevic, I felt like this would be an ideal platform for Tillman to show the different dimensions he provides in the middle of the floor.

Nevertheless, Joe Mazzulla had other plans. Tillman was on the court for all of 2 minutes and 33 seconds. I have no doubt that we will see more of him, for longer stretches, in the coming weeks. I also get the idea of slowly incorporating him into the rotation, especially if you’re managing the knee soreness that’s been bothering him.

Still, he got his first bucket in green and looked every bit the versatile and sturdy presence we believed the Celtics were getting when they acquired him before the trade deadline.

The sequence that led to the above bucket was fun. A screen for Sam Hauser rolls toward the low block, seals his man, gets the pass, and then navigates toward the paint before facing up and flashing some encouraging footwork. Tillman will have sterner tests while wearing a Celtics jersey. I’m just happy he got on the court, flashed some of his skillsets, and finished the game without an injury.

There’s plenty of time for him to stake his claim for a consistent rotation spot in the coming weeks and months.

#4 Our first look at Springer

Jaden Springer also got a few minutes on the court for the Celtics. Like Tillman, he was making his first appearance after recovering from a slight injury. Springer joined Boston with a reputation for being a fierce defender. His limited playing time limited our ability to see what he can do on that side of the floor, especially so late in the game with little left to play for.

Nevertheless, we will likely see him in a bigger role between now and the playoffs, although I do have a feeling he’s more of a development player, and we will likely see more of him next season than we do for the remainder of this one.

Unfortunately, Springer’s debut ended without a bucket, as he missed his only shot attempt of the game — fittingly a perimeter jumper.

#5 Gettin’ nerdy with it: A new action

I haven’t seen the Celtics run this offensive action before. So, naturally, I wanted to point it out in today’s takeaways.

Brown is the key to this possession. He starts by looping his cut from the strong side wing, then flows into a cross-screen for Tatum. At the same time, Kristaps Porzingis is springing Derrick White free on the perimeter via a standard high pick-and-roll. Tatum comes off the cross-screen and flows into the post, where he receives an entry pass from White.

As Tatum receives the ball, Brown continues his cutting movement, flowing into a wedge screen for Porzingis, allowing him to cut from the perimeter toward the rim. The reason Porzingis’ cut is so important is because it pulls Jrue Holiday’s defender into the paint and creates a passing lane for Tatum, allowing him to hit a swing pass into the weakside corner for an easy catch-and-shoot three from Holiday.

I’m a sucker for an offense that’s generated via movement. Factor in some smart and purposeful screening, and I’m in love. One of my favorite actions from the season so far in terms of design and execution.

#6 Gettin’ Nerdy with it Part 2: Running “Ram” perfectly

One action the Celtics have been running consistently this season is “ram," a down screen for a player that cuts to the perimeter to set an on-ball screen. We’ve looked at these actions on multiple occasions this season.

However, a first-quarter ram action between Luke Kornet and Tatum felt like the best execution of the set we’ve seen all season.

Tatum is getting so good at “dragging it out” after coming off a screen. He doesn’t look to get straight downhill when he's in creation mode. Instead, he dribbles around the perimeter, bending the defense and creating cutting lanes for his teammates.

In this instance, Tatum drags his dribble after Kornet’s on-ball screen completes the ram action. So, he gets the initial switch, which is why you run ram in the first place, but his man also stays with him. That allows Kornet to cut toward the rim with little resistance, including a lack of a defensive tagger. Tatum recognizes the advantage and throws up the lob pass, leading to an easy bucket.

#7 Tatum’s versatility is elite

We’re in MVP season. That means Tatum’s position within MVP voting and the league’s hierarchy of players is going to be a major discussion point over the next month or two. There will be a focus on his box score stats, with very little context being provided outside of the Boston media.

However, as Mazzulla alluded to during his post-game press conference, Tatum’s versatility is what sets him apart from some of the other stars in the NBA. He’s an elite scorer, playmaker, rebounder, and defender, and he handles the rock as well as any forward in the league. The fact that he’s sacrificing so the Celtics have the best shot at winning a championship is a primary reason why so many believe he deserves to be in the MVP race despite his numbers being slightly lower.

Against Chicago, Tatum dropped 25 points, pulled down 7 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and stole the rock on 3 occasions. For Tatum, that’s an average night. The fact we’ve become so numb to such a well-rounded performance is a testament to the type of production we’ve been seeing from the five-time All-Star over the past 12-18 months.

#8 Porzingis held his own on defense

Similarly to Kornet, Vucevic and Drummond aren’t the ideal matchups for Porzingis’, at least not on the defensive end. However, Porzingis found ways to impact the game on that side of the ball. He used his size and length to pester passing lanes. He didn’t allow himself to get wrapped up in a muscle match when guarding the post.

Instead, he stuck to the game plan. He played his role as a drop defender to perfection. Sometimes, he picked up guys up around the nail. Other times, he would be on the perimeter. But for the most part, Porzingis operated in his sweet spot, which is in and around the paint, allowing his rim protection to shine through. However, it would have been nice to see him provide more of a boost on the glass.

#9 Jrue Holiday plugs gaps

When Holiday’s box score doesn’t pop off the page, it’s easy to assume he had a quiet night. Yet, when you watch him play, he seems to be everywhere. He’s a focal point on defense and arguably the most versatile defender on the roster. He can be a primary, secondary, or tertiary ball-handler. He can be a release valve in the corner or a core member of the offensive system.

He can play off the ball. He can screen. He can cut with purpose. There’s nothing White can’t do within Boston’s system outside of blocking shots and protecting the rim with verticality. This was definitely one of his “do the little things” performances. That’s why Boston acquired him in the summer. Because they knew he had the ability, and more importantly, the humility, to scale his role and production based on what the team needed each night and even each possession.

Holiday is an unsung hero this season.

#10 All-star or not, we’re lucky to have Derrick White

White may not be an All-Star, but he’s 100% a star in his role. Once again, he was among the best players on the floor, especially in the early exchanges, where he registered 12 points and three blocks in the opening quarter.

The Bulls struggled to deal with White’s versatility. They also found his floater game difficult to deal with throughout the final two quarters. I’ve consistently praised White’s performances during these takeaways, so today is no different. The growth he’s shown, both in terms of skill set and confidence, has been impressive. He’s going to be a legitimate factor in the postseason.

Looking ahead

The Celtics will face the New York Knicks on Saturday. New York is missing three of its primary rotation in Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. As such, the Celtics will need to stay fully focused if they want to avoid a potential trap game. After all, Jalen Brunson and Bojan Bogdanovic are no joke on offense, while Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein have both been impressive role players this season.

As usual, I will be back here on Sunday to look at what we saw and/or learned from the game. Until then, I hope everyone has a great weekend.