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By Robert Marvi
Contributing Sports Writer
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After star forward Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the second round of last season's NBA playoffs, many people felt the Boston Celtics would be in trouble this season. It didn't even seem like a lock that the Celtics would reach the playoffs this spring.
But despite not having Tatum at all this season, they have motored to a 38-20 record, which puts them in second place in the Eastern Conference. Jaylen Brown is having a dream season, and they have been winning with precision, patience, physicality and defense.
Some may doubt if Boston will have enough firepower without Tatum to go far in the playoffs when defense becomes a huge priority for everyone. But Hall of Famer Reggie Miller said on "The Dan Patrick Show" that not only is Boston a threat to reach the NBA Finals, but that Boston is "the scariest team in the Eastern Conference."
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“I’m gonna say this,” Miller said. “With or without Tatum, even if Tatum doesn’t come back, the Celtics are the scariest team in the Eastern Conference. The reason being that there is no expectations, people thought this was gonna be a gap year without Tatum…The Celtics are a real threat to win the Eastern Conference.”
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Despite the naysayers who erroneously claim that little or no defense is played in today's NBA, defense is still and will always be the key to winning championships. Boston is less than two calendar years removed from winning it all, and that season, it finished second in defensive rating.
So far this season, it is seventh in defensive rating, and in February, it has been first in that category.
Offensively, the Celtics are underrated. While they play at a very slow pace, they're second in offensive rating, as well as second in 3-point attempts per game and third in 3-point makes per game. An argument could be made that relying on 3-point shooting that much, especially when they're a modest 12th in 3-point accuracy, is risky, but it has mostly worked for them over the last few years.
Brown is averaging 29.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists a game this season, and there is a groundswell of support for him to seriously enter the MVP conversation. Even better, there is evidence that Tatum is nearing a return this season or at least trying to return in the coming weeks.
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The flip side of Miller's argument is that come playoff time, the Celtics' offense could get bogged down and overly reliant on Brown. While starting guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White are legitimate complementary scoring threats, Pritchard's scoring average dropped significantly in last year's playoffs, and White is shooting just 39.1% from the field and 32.4% from 3-point range this season.
If Tatum returns by the end of this season, it will certainly take him a while to get back in game shape and rhythm, let alone get back to his usual level of production. Given the nature of his injury, there may also be a chance that he will never be the same player again.
But Boston's effectiveness on both ends of the floor, as well as its toughness, tenacity and cohesiveness, will definitely make it a tough out this spring.
For more on the Celtics and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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