It’s often said that health is one of the biggest X factors in a team’s postseason run. It doesn’t matter how much talent you have on your roster; if they can’t stay healthy, well, it’s not gonna work out well for you, Jack.
The Boston Celtics somewhat spat in the face of that mindset last season. Kristaps Porzingis missed most of the Celtics’ postseason run. Yet, Joe Mazzulla’s steamroller continued to squash every soul that stood in front of it. Nineteen games, and in 11 of them, the Celtics held opponents to under 100 points.
Yet, as hard as it is to wrap your head around, Porzingis is a ceiling-raiser, not a key cog. That’s why Boston is 30-9 without their star big man in the rotation this season. If Porzingis is out, it sucks, but it won’t derail what you’re trying to do.
Still, when he’s healthy, Porzingis ties everything together. Right now, Porzingis’ health isn’t in question. It’s Jaylen Brown who has fans worried over his potential impact in the post-season. And unlike Porzingis, Brown is a vital cog in what the Celtics look to do on both sides of the floor.
Brown’s rim-pressure, point-of-attack defense and secondary playmaking are all key ingredients in the recipe for championship success. So, with Brown suffering from a bone bruise in his knee and his on-court production looking questionable at best, is it time to hit the panic button?
Well, the decision on whether or not to be concerned depends on whether Porzingis can step into and sustain a bigger role within the offense. In order for that to be a success, Porzingis will likely need to lean into a more frequent two-man game with Jayson Tatum.
According to PBPStats.com, Tatum has found Porzingis 60 times this season, creating 151 points. Porzingis has returned the favor on 17 occasions, generating 41 points. In fact, only Derrick White (67) and Brown himself (65) have been the recipient of more assists from Boston’s superstar.
Nevertheless, if Brown is forced to sit out of some postseason games for whatever reason, that Tatum/Porzingis connection is going to become essential. The problem is, can you trust that Porzingis’ body can hold up to the additional usage and defensive attention? And can that two-man game work well enough to help bridge the gap that’s left behind when Brown is out of the rotation?
The good news is that leaning into a Tatum and Porzingis tandem isn’t going to change how the Celtics approach things on the offensive end. Both excel when working on the perimeter but are more than capable three-level scorers. Furthermore, both can work as screens, cutters, poppers, and play finishers.
What I like is that we’ve already seen some examples of how a two-man game between Tatum and Porzingis could work.
Both Tatum and Porzingis possess significant scoring gravity. You can see that when they’re working as a duo, defenses are forced to react. The pin-in from Tatum creates the space for Porzingis to receive the ball, Tatum’s pop opens the lane for Porzingis to drive, and then the boomerang passing creates a high-low entry that puts the big man in position to get the easy bucket.
We’ve seen it work in other ways, too. When Tatum operates as the screener for Porzingis, defenses face an impossible choice. Switch, and you’ve got Tatum bullying a smaller defender. Show too hard on Porzingis, and Tatum slips to the rim. Play drop coverage, and Tatum is hunting you on the move, looking to attack the mismatch while in motion.
The options are endless.
There’s a level of comfort in knowing that your two best players can score across the board. It provides the team with a multitude of counters, depending on how opposing teams are looking to defend them. Of course, everything works better with Brown on the floor.
Without Brown’s gravity and the threat of him exploding through the lanes, defenses will collapse more willingly on Porzingis – or anyone else – in the paint. Brown’s gravity creates space that Holiday (often the third option when someone is out with injury), despite his consistent shooting last season, simply can’t replicate. Defenses fear Brown’s athleticism, his ability to catch and drive or pull up with equal effectiveness. They also fear the moments where the ‘grave digger’ puts someone on a highlight reel – because who buys posters anymore?
Side note: Can we start buying posters again? Why aren’t they a thing these days?
And don’t even get me started on how Brown’s mid-range game bends defenses to the breaking point. I mean, where is the help supposed to come from? Seriously?
The good news? Mazzulla has been preparing for this all season. The Celtics have played 18 games without Brown, going 13-5. They’ve survived stretches without Porzingis. They’ve weathered games where Tatum shot poorly. This isn’t a team that relies on a single formula for success.
So, while Brown’s knee issue is concerning, it’s not time to panic – not yet. The Celtics’ championship hopes don’t rest solely on Brown’s health but on Tatum and Porzingis’s ability to elevate their partnership to another level. If these two can maintain their chemistry and increase their two-man effectiveness, Mazzulla’s steamroller might just keep on rolling.
And in a playoff atmosphere where adjustments are everything, having two versatile scorers who can punish any defensive coverage is exactly the insurance policy you want. With Tatum and Porzingis leading the charge, the Celtics’ finish line still has “championship” written all over it…Assuming everyone else can stay healthy, of course…That’s the caveat.
CelticsBlog graciously allowed this article to be cross-posted from my growing “Celtics Chronicle” newsletter.
