The Celtics had a tremendous response, without Jayson Tatum or Al Horford, on the second night of a back-to-back, on Wednesday night in Sacramento after a tough loss in Golden State on Tuesday. They deserve lots of credit for that response and win.
However, that win didn’t erase the feeling many of us had on Tuesday night, when it felt like we were watching the same bad movie all over again. When we were reminded that as good as the Celtics have been and can be this regular season, they still suffer from some of the same issues that have plagued them in the 4th Quarter of some of their biggest losses the last few years. The lack of pace. Bailing on transition. Failing to get downhill enough. Tuesday night’s loss was also the latest glaring example of one of Tatum’s biggest offensive issues and the direct impact it has on the team, especially in late-game moments.
There’s no denying that Tatum is one of the best basketball players in the world. On his best nights, he looks like the league MVP. Many aspects of his game have grown over the last two years: Playmaking, rebounding and defense come to mind. But, he continues to do one thing that unequivocally hurts himself and his team: Tatum has a fatal attraction with pull-up threes. That reared its ugly head once again on Tuesday.
After Wednesday night’s games, Tatum was tied for 5th in the NBA for most pull-up threes attempted per game (5.8). He is also the worst shooting and least efficient member of that top five (technically six with the tie at five), by a landslide. Heading into Thursday night, Damian Lillard averaged precisely the same amount of pull-up threes as Tatum, while shooting them at a 36.3% clip. Meanwhile, Tatum shoots about 7.5% worse than Lillard (28.9%). That’s an astronomical gap.
What’s even worse, is that this is a trend. Tatum’s pull-up three-point shooting has declined the last two years as his volume has gone up. In the ‘21-’22 season, Tatum shot 38.8% on pull-up threes. Last season, that number dropped to 29.2% and is almost identical to his percentage this season. And, Tatum’s timing of these pull-up threes knows no bounds. Against the Warriors he ended the 1st Half with a trash pull-up three attempt. Miss. At the end of regulation, with time left on the clock, he decided to attempt a contested pull-up three. Miss. At this point, it’s just bad offense and a low basketball IQ decision. But, it’s one that he continues to make.
Now, here’s the biggest challenge for the Celtics: Can they simultaneously keep their superstar happy by running offense through him, especially late in tight games, while finding a way to convince him that he needs to take less of the shot he seemingly loves the most? The much better option is to have Tatum increase his off-the-ball catch-and-shoot 3PAs. He shoots well into the 40’s on those types of threes. However, that’s not possible when he initiates the offense and/or runs the shot clock down so often. We’d also love to see Tatum stay aggressive and make the game easier for himself by getting more post touches and free throws at the end of games. But, all of that is easier said than done and will remain a rather large obstacle in front of this team’s stated goal, Banner 18, if Tatum doesn’t change something about his approach.
Are the Red Sox Set to Disappoint Fans Again?
There is too much time left in the offseason to pronounce the 2024 Red Sox dead on arrival. But, the Red Sox have officially run out of time to land their #1 free agent target, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is now headed to LA.
It certainly sounds like Yamamoto wanted LA and used other teams to drive up the price for the Dodgers. Some would say, “The Red Sox never had a chance, so who cares?!”
We would disagree.
We should care that the Red Sox aren’t as desirable as they were. We should care that the reputation has been hurt over the last few offseasons by how certain decisions were handled and/or executed. We should care that there wasn’t a single report mentioning the Red Sox offering $300-plus Million to force Yamamoto to even think hard about his decision.
We digress…It’s now time for the Sox to pivot. They can still fill rotation needs with Jordan Montgomery in free agency and then trade for a young starter such as Corbin Burnes of the Brewers or one of the guys in Seattle. If Burnes is the trade, you have to extend him and his agent is Scott Boras. That’ll cost ya. If you sign Montgomery, guess who his agent is? You guessed it, Boras. Oh, and you have to compete with the teams that lost out on Yamamoto for his services. So, yeah, that’ll cost ya.
And, that’s why this excerpt from a recent Rob Bradford story upsets my stomach and should have “Red Sox Nation” rolling their freaking eyes:
The opportunity to pull off a maneuver like Dave Dombrowski did with David Price – offering $40 million more than the next-best offer – might not be a realistic strategy considering the financial heavyweights they are dealing with.
I’m sorry, why should the Red Sox not be considered a “financial heavyweight” along with the Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers?! Boston is a top-10 market. The Sox have the revenue from NESN. They are tens of millions of dollars under the CBT. John Henry has spent the last few years spending less on a team that should be considered one of the league’s richest operations. But, now we’re supposed to act as if they’re the sisters of the poor? What?! Oh, those poor little Red Sox just can’t hang with the big boys…Ridiculous.
Here’s a fact: If the Sox don’t surpass the CBT threshold, maybe even surpass it by a significant margin, it is a major disservice to their fans. IF they don’t spend that kind of money this offseason, we should absolutely get after the ownership and demand them to sell. If they’re not going to spend the money, go out and sell the team to someone that will.
There’d be no shame in that. You brought multiple World Series titles to a team that was still haunted by the ghost of Babe Ruth, when you bought the franchise. Your ROI is going to be astounding. That’s all commendable. But, if the desire and passion is gone, then it is what it is. Put the franchise up for auction and move on with your many other ventures.
Do We Truly Appreciate the Challenge Robert Kraft is Facing?
We all had opinions on the Pat McAfee-Robert Kraft “controversy” from a couple of weeks ago on ESPN College Gameday. But, what is not up for debate is that Kraft finds himself in a very difficult position. A position that some would say they wouldn’t envy, just as McAfee did.
Yes, the Patriots season has been dreadful. Yes, they’ve played losing football since Tom Brady walked out the door. And, yes, Bill Belichick’s draft resume from 2015 and on will go down as simply reprehensible. But, it’s never easy replacing a legend. It’s not easy replacing someone who we think still has at least 30% of the fanbase solidly behind him.
This transition is monumental. If Kraft moves on from Belichick, it could get messy. If Kraft doesn’t replace Belichick with the right people, at HC and/or GM, then this franchise could be set back for another 5-6 years. At least. It’s not hyperbolic to say that this is one of the most pivotal decisions a professional sports owner has made. In history. Yes, history. Let’s all hope RKK gets it right.
Bruins Made the Right Decision With Poitras
Speaking of getting it right, we thought the Bruins got it right by allowing Matt Poitras to join Team Canada for the 2024 World Juniors this week. Reportedly, Poitras was skating on the top line at practice and figures to be one of the brightest talents on the roster. Great!
Let Poitras get consistent skating time and hopefully continue to build on the good that he has shown, in flashes, here in Boston. There’s still so much left to develop within the 19-year-old Canadian. Let him settle down versus similarly aged and skilled hockey players. Missing, at the most, nine games for the Bruins, isn’t the end of the world.
Meanwhile, the Poitras move highlights the Center position for the B’s and why they feel they’ll be fine without their rookie. Morgan Geekie has stepped up after moving over from right wing. Pavel Zacha returned vs the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, finishing with two points. Add Charlie Coyle and Johnny Beecher, along with Trent Frederic and Patrick Brown who can move over in a pinch, and the depth is there for the Bruins. Now, if they could just be better at the end of periods and games!
Be the first to comment