That sidestep 3-pointer is so deadly. Teams in the playoffs had to aggressively double him to stop him from raining those down on them. And if he keeps improving his passing in those situations, look out.Posting this purely for the good vibes:
View: https://twitter.com/drewhanlen/status/1331078648233828360?s=21
The bigger the bag of tricks, the bigger the bag! @jaytatum0 celebrated his $195 million deal by doing what he’s always done... WORK!!
JT working on the handle, step-back, and push-off on the drive.
My dream is that JT gets so physically strong that he starts to finish around the basket, if not like LBJ, then something approximating that (not sure who the step down comp. would be, Kawai?). If he can absorb contact and finish (sort of like when MJ realized it was time to bulk up when the Pistons beat the shit out of him those first few years), given his amazing repertoire from distance, he's going to be virtually unguardable by one player.You can tell on a few of those shots he's pulling up from Dame range. He can already shoot the lights out, but defenses having to respect a shot at 27' could make things a little more interesting.
It’s less painful when you understand the amount of skill it takes to do the gather properly without it being a travel, while also leaving yourself the ability to turn some of them into blow-bys.Love watching him work. But man it's painful that they allow that 3-4 step sideways move into a jump shot. I know, I'm old and crotchety. But still. Don't like it.
But love Tatum - dude is awesome.
This comes with an asterisk because leading the league in scoring usually means ppg, but pierce did lead the league in total points scored in 01-02.Tatum could be the first Celtic to ever lead the league in scoring if he gets the shots.
They’re clearly leaking that footage so the league will be unprepared when he unleashes the left finishes he’s been working on in secret for the 2021 Finals.He still refuses to finish with his left hand in that video. This post brought to you by deborah downer
Yeah I came around on it for this reason. It's such a specialized skill. If it were easy to do at high volume and efficiency, everyone would do it.It’s less painful when you understand the amount of skill it takes to do the gather properly without it being a travel, while also leaving yourself the ability to turn some of them into blow-bys.
The combination of ball-handling and footwork required is really, really hard to get right, and then you still have to make a 26-footer over a hard contest. It’s freaking amazing that a few guys can do it at 35-40% now.
It definitely warps the game further in favor of elite self-created 3s, that’s for sure. I’m glad the Celtics have one of the league’s rising stars in that department.Yeah I'm just complaining that "back in my day" that would have been a travel, 100% of the time, no matter how skilled you were. Guys like Reggie Miller - heck, even Ray Allen - would have done it if they'd have allowed it back then.
None of this is to take away from Tatum - he's a tremendously talented player and I'm glad he's adding weapons to his arsenal. And if this is now legal in the NBA, then heck yeah be great at it.
IIRC, it wasn't until after year 5 or 6 that Bird went home for the summer and did nothing but shoot lefty.They’re clearly leaking that footage so the league will be unprepared when he unleashes the left finishes he’s been working on in secret for the 2021 Finals.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R76nMD8buR8IIRC, it wasn't until after year 5 or 6 that Bird went home for the summer and did nothing but shoot lefty.
Give it time for today's kids/teens who are watching Harden and Tatum to grow up. They will be doing it eventually.Yeah I came around on it for this reason. It's such a specialized skill. If it were easy to do at high volume and efficiency, everyone would do it.
Oh yeah. My kid is 17, and it's part of their game already. Not that he needs it against me.Give it time for today's kids/teens who are watching Harden and Tatum to grow up. They will be doing it eventually.
Brings back so many memories - Bird still my favorite athlete of all time. Perfect offensive basketball player and he really couldn’t run or jump a lick.
Oh he could run. A 5:08 mile is pretty good. Not a world class sprinter but he could run.Bird still my favorite athlete of all time. Perfect offensive basketball player and he really couldn’t run or jump a lick.
Good point - he could certainly keep running and running and running. Like Havlicek he had a long term motor and more tenacity than anyone else in the league when he was at his peak.Oh he could run. A 5:08 mile is pretty good. Not a world class sprinter but he could run.
https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20788298/a-few-words-about-running-from-the-great-larry-bird/
It's been said before on this board, we're lucky St. Louis doesn't have an NBA team.He needs to ditch the Cards hat
Good luck getting the guy who wrote "RIP Lou Brock" on his sneakers to not wear a Cards hat.He needs to ditch the Cards hat
He’s worshipped here and the city has 100% adopted the Celtics. Embrace it.It's been said before on this board, we're lucky St. Louis doesn't have an NBA team.
I mean...literally this core, without Thompson, probably makes the finals last year if they weren’t exhausted from the Raps series. Thompson solves their Bam problem to a large degree imo.This is really the primary path to a championship anyway. Tatum needs to become the offensive engine/shot creator and Kemba needs to be replaced by a player that's more well rounded. Smart could be the "point guard" and you bring in another player -- maybe a big that can protect the rim/vertical space -- in Kemba's salary slot.
That's the only way I can really see this core being legitimate title contenders. They'll still be fun to watch otherwise, just not a real threat to win the title.
Wasn't this core title contenders like 70 days ago?That's the only way I can really see this core being legitimate title contenders. They'll still be fun to watch otherwise, just not a real threat to win the title.
I don't believe they were. They were Eastern Conference contenders, but they are still a major piece short of being a legitimate title threat.Wasn't this core title contenders like 70 days ago?
Yes everyone just likes to get mad when Ainge doesn’t trade away 5 future drafts for 30 year old maybe-top-30-players.Wasn't this core title contenders like 70 days ago?
I think the path to a championship requires one of Langford, Nesmith, Granite, Time Lord, Waters, Edwards or Pritchard to make the "leap" into a starting caliber player (30+ min a game), at least in the long term. If none of those guys work out, it's going to set the team back awhile. You can't have 3 years of drafts where the best player you draft is an 15-20 minute rotation player, especially when you had 5 1st round picks. I fully expect 1 of those players to develop into a 30 minute a game player though, and another 1 or 2 to develop into 20 minute rotation players.This is really the primary path to a championship anyway. Tatum needs to become the offensive engine/shot creator and Kemba needs to be replaced by a player that's more well rounded. Smart could be the "point guard" and you bring in another player -- maybe a big that can protect the rim/vertical space -- in Kemba's salary slot.
That's the only way I can really see this core being legitimate title contenders. They'll still be fun to watch otherwise, just not a real threat to win the title.
Yeah, another way of putting it is that I think Grant might be that guy as soon as this year, but his skillset is such that it doesn’t move the needle enough. Mostly ditto for TL, although elite rim protectors are great to have.I think the path to a championship requires one of Langford, Nesmith, Granite, Time Lord, Waters, Edwards or Pritchard to make the "leap" into a starting caliber player (30+ min a game), at least in the long term. If none of those guys work out, it's going to set the team back awhile. You can't have 3 years of drafts where the best player you draft is an 15-20 minute rotation player, especially when you had 5 1st round picks. I fully expect 1 of those players to develop into a 30 minute a game player though, and another 1 or 2 to develop into 20 minute rotation players.
I hope the player that emerges is either Nesmith or Langford but I think it's most likely to be Grant Williams. Any of the 3 would help the Celtics immensely, though all in different ways. It's pretty cool that our top 3 prospects don't replicate each other at all.
Long story short, Tatum/Brown need a 3rd guy who sticks around for longer than a couple years. I guess they could also try to trade for that guy.
Yeah, I'd agree with that. I think Grant has an outside chance of moving the needle if his offensive game improves a lot. That requires him developing into an average/above average 3 point shot at decent volume.Yeah, another way of putting it is that I think Grant might be that guy as soon as this year, but his skillset is such that it doesn’t move the needle enough. Mostly ditto for TL, although elite rim protectors are great to have.
Langford and Nesmith have skillsets such that if they were legit starters, you’d be getting exactly what you need around Tatum and Brown.
Yeah I should give Grant the credit of a bit more upside. He was a very good FT shooter in college, and his shot looks clean and compact; probably could speed up the release over time. That puts him somewhere as “better offensive PJ Tucker, from a younger age, maybe with an above-the-break 3”, which is a pretty good player.Yeah, I'd agree with that. I think Grant has an outside chance of moving the needle if his offensive game improves a lot. That requires him developing into an average/above average 3 point shot at decent volume.
Waters and Edwards taking the step doesn't change much at all but does give Ainge some trade chips and Kemba insurance.
To be taken with a few grains of salt, but once he hit his first 3 pointer and got that monkey off his back, he shot .386 from 3 for the remainder of the season (including playoffs). That's over 65 games, a not insignificant sample. It wouldn't be surprising to see him shooting around that percentage going forward, and would make him a very useful player.Yeah I should give Grant the credit of a bit more upside. He was a very good FT shooter in college, and his shot looks clean and compact; probably could speed up the release over time. That puts him somewhere as “better offensive PJ Tucker, from a younger age, maybe with an above-the-break 3”, which is a pretty good player.
34/88. Not insignificant but a smaller sample size than you'd think. That's why I added the moderate volume part. His 3PA/per 36 in the playoffs was 3.6. For the year, it was 3.3.To be taken with a few grains of salt, but once he hit his first 3 pointer and got that monkey off his back, he shot .386 from 3 for the remainder of the season (including playoffs). That's over 65 games, a not insignificant sample. It wouldn't be surprising to see him shooting around that percentage going forward, and would make him a very useful player.
I said the same thing about last year(it didn't happen to the degree necessary), and I think it's spot on about this year as well. At very least they need some impact play off the bench from GW, Nesmith, and hopefully Langford. I don't have high expectations for Edwards and Waters, and don't expect RW to see much time unless one of Theis or Thompson is hurt. Pritchard is likewise blocked by Kemba and Teague, although the injury possibility is obviously higher there.I think the path to a championship requires one of Langford, Nesmith, Granite, Time Lord, Waters, Edwards or Pritchard to make the "leap" into a starting caliber player (30+ min a game), at least in the long term. If none of those guys work out, it's going to set the team back awhile.