Analysis: Point Tatum? Breaking down a promising performance for the rookie

Jayson Tatum has worn a lot of different hats this year for the Celtics. The rookie has played anywhere from shooting guard to power forward over the course of any given night, based on the matchups. His versatility has been a huge asset for Brad Stevens all year long, an encouraging development for the 20-year-old rookie.

However, with three point guards out of the lineup on Saturday night and the Celtics facing a do-or-die scenario in their unlikely chase of the No. 1 seed in the East, Stevens was forced to get a little creative. Terry Rozier wouldn’t be able to play 48 minutes against the Raptors and the only true point guard depth behind him were G-League players.

Al Horford and Marcus Morris had played some point forward in a pinch during past months, but ball pressure from active Toronto bigs led to trouble back in February for Boston. Due to that, Stevens tried something new 75 games into the regular season for a few minutes each half. He told Tatum to go play point guard.

As has been the case with most assignments this year, Tatum was up for the challenge.

The 6-foot-8 wing said after the game he hadn’t played point guard since high school and that fact led to a bit of a challenge on one front.

"Trying to remember the plays at the point guard position," Tatum said about the key to running point. "Just using my length and my size, just backing them down. I just try to take care of the ball."

That length put the Raptors into a bit of a bind at the end of the third quarter. He anchored a bench unit that had Abdel Nader as the smallest player on the floor, leaving the Raptors with no one to hide reserve point guard Fred Van Vleet on. Tatum showed poise against the pesky undersized defender on multiple plays over the final few minutes of the frame.

He started out with a simple pick-and-roll with Greg Monroe. The help came in the form of two men to contain Tatum in the paint, but Tatum’s size gave him the ability to see past both defenders and hit a rolling Monroe. The veteran missed the easy layup, but it was a terrific look produced by the mismatch.



Later in the quarter, the Raptors tried to ramp up the pressure on Tatum. VanVleet, an elite defender, swarmed Tatum on the perimeter to try to force a turnover. The rookie did not panic. Instead, he surprised the point guard with a strong take to his left and maneuvered around traffic for an easy layup.



Tatum’s initiation of the offense also led to a great playcall by Stevens late in the third quarter. This time, DeRozan was guarding Tatum and overplayed him towards the perimeter, leaving a cut to the rim wide open that the rookie somehow missed.



Over the course of a few minutes, the full Tatum skillset was on display. He finished the night with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists, showcasing yet again the type of all-around value that has already turned him into a focal point for this team on offense.

“I didn’t see anything necessarily different with him,” Stevens said. “I just think as he gets more experience, he’s getting better. He’s done a great job working in the weight room, doing different things to continue to go through the long season, and he’s really, really starting to peak, I think. It’s been fun to watch. We played him at the one some tonight, which we haven’t done yet, and it allowed us to be really big on the other end of the floor, which was nice. But obviously, he’s just a talented guy. He does a lot of good things.”

Those good things from Tatum continue to keep the Celtics afloat for the one seed in the East in the midst of a six-game winning streak. The Duke product has scored 20-plus points in four of the last seven games, which has kept this group rolling while two All-Stars watch from the sidelines.

However, Saturday’s point performance was a glimpse of the future for this Celtics team. It’s hard to find any rookie, much less a 6-foot-8 one who can shoot, handle the ball, and finish like the No. 3 overall pick. The Celtics have seemingly just scratched the surface with what he is capable of and they may have uncovered another important ability against the Raptors. With offensive creation at a premium in the postseason, Tatum showed he was ready for more responsibility.