NBA Notebook: How Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum compare to other star passers

Ime Udoka wanted Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to become better playmakers in their first year under the new head coach. He also challenged them to play together, something they haven't had much opportunity to do. Brown missed 13 games with a hamstring strain, losing significant time to develop new chemistry with Tatum and earn his own chances to develop as a playmaker. 

“They’re obviously the two guys you’re going to see a ton on the court and they need to learn how to play together, and they have after all these years," Udoka said last month. "They’re going to be out there together, so they need to learn to play together, play off each other and pick their spots when both are on the court.”

Udoka planned to stagger Brown and Tatum's minutes this season to help facilitate their individual growth, keeping one of the team's two leading scorers on the floor at all times. That idea emerged briefly during Monday's 117-103 Celtics win over the Bucks, when Brown returned from injury and momentarily led two bench units. Udoka quickly got away from each rotation within two minutes, so Brown and Tatum mostly played together that night, finding each other on 31 combined passes. That ranked well above their season average of 6.8, among the lowest shares between two star teammates. Last year, Brown and Tatum averaged 9.8 passes to each other.  

Guards will naturally distribute at higher rates than wings like Brown and Tatum, with Brown falling behind Dennis Schröder, Marcus Smart and Tatum in ball time on the Celtics alone. Tatum splits ball-handling responsibilities with Boston's back court too, so players like Chris Paul and LeBron James only provide a high-level comparison point for the Jays. James passes the ball 26.5 times per game to Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, receiving it 30.2 times back from them. Note Davis' 14 dishes to James as a big man. 

Kevin Durant passes to James Harden 12.5 times each night, and gets it back 18.5. Paul, one of the game's top passers, averages 57.1 passes each night to all his teammates. Nikola Jokic leads the league with 74.3, followed by Kyle Lowry with 67.1. 

Cade Cunningham (54.3), Royce O'Neale (52.8), Julius Randle (52.4), Paul George (47.2) and Jimmy Butler (46.7) set the tone among unselfish wings. Tatum averages 44.3 passes, in the same league as Giannis Antetokounmpo (42.8), as Udoka emphasizes that part of Tatum's game, which shined again during the Celtics' loss to the Warriors where Tatum served ssix assists. 

Tatum found Brown twice for threes that night, before tossing the ball Brown's way a third time on a skip pass to the opposite corner facing a double team down 107-100 late. Tatum passed to Brown 16 times against the Bucks, up from his season average of 2.9, before hitting him with 15 passes in the Warriors game. Brown sent 15 feeds back Tatum's way Monday, then eight on Friday. Then, they combined for 23 on Saturday against the Knicks. 

"I just want to encourage, more than anything, our great ball movement," Al Horford told Boston Sports Journal on Thursday. "We had a bunch of assists, and I guess the reason for that was we really played more two-man games with both of them. I feel like we were able to see the defense trying to figure out who you're going to guard, Jayson (or) Jaylen. I think coach Udoka has been emphasizing a lot extra passing, making the right play. It's something that takes time. That Milwaukee game was a good step toward that. I do expect for us to keep building on that." 

Tatum's 8.3 potential assists per game are indicative of a willing passer hurt by Boston's lack of shot finishers around him. His failure to connect regularly with Brown, in part, stems from Brown's difficulty making himself available within the flow of the offense.

Josh Richardson said during training camp that's the key to supporting Tatum as a teammate. In the two games where the Jays meshed best this season, opening night in New York and on Monday against the Bucks, Brown received ample time on-ball to set an early tone in transition and allowed Tatum to utilize his better off-ball activity. 

The pair bent Milwaukee's defense by attacking away from the pressure one drew, a formula to build on. Tatum screened for Brown, then on Friday Brown returned the favor. Those visuals were unimaginable before this week. They entered each other's air space more often and confused the Bucks with the two-man game. Teams had become accustomed to Brown and Tatum playing my-turn, your-turn instead of with each other. 

Brown, limited in his on-ball opportunities, usually looks to attack head-on and that's both benefited him -- with his 69.9% efficiency at the rim -- and hurt his ability to impact Boston's passing. His handle improved last season and his pace naturally opens up the Celtics offense. That's his advantage over Tatum, who tends to pound the rock and slow the game down in the half court. 

Brown better reflects what Boston wants to be offensively. He simply hasn't received the playmaking seasoning Tatum has by constantly being available, though Tatum does possess the better raw passing skills and draws more pressure on-ball. Brown passes 31.6 times per game, fewer than centers like Deandre Ayton and Mason Plumlee, but manages to find Tatum as often as Tatum gives the ball to him. 

"I think I’ve made leaps,” Brown told Boston Sports Journal Monday. “That’s something that I’ve watched this summer and really tried to improve at. I haven’t had as many opportunities to be in those roles where I’m the one setting the tone, usually I’m on the receiving end trying to score. As I continue to find different ways on this team to be a threat and to be aggressive, having the ball, bringing it up, running pick-and-rolls, finding guys is something I feel comfortable with.”

So how does the duo compare to other wing passers? 

Brown and Tatum's sharing (6.8) falls below Kawhi Leonard and George' average last season (14.3). Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram connected for 10.4 passes on average, while Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid boasted 25.1 between them. Giannis, typically playing center, passes to Jrue Holiday 9.3 times per game by himself this year. Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball average 28.3 together, with 21 between Nikola Vucevic and LaVine. Even an obscure wing-big combo, Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis, posts 14.1 per game. 

Brown and Tatum have ample room to grow toward the standard other star wings have set as passers. It begins with carefulness, willingness and activity. They've broken through the willingness part this week, playing off each other as often as we've ever seen them before. 

Carefulness requires consistency. Tatum can occasionally have sloppy turnover and poor-decision games on the ball. His instinct and feel for where teammates want passes needs to improve. After two of his best passing games ever last week, Tatum reverted to settling and turning the ball over (3) more than he assisted (2) against the Knicks. Brown still managed five assists in the win.

That final step -- activity -- involves moving, screening, cutting and running for each other. Creating quality shots requires similar effort to playing great defense, that's why ball movement can be hard to maintain. The Warriors provided a template for what it takes in their win. The ball moves itself there. In Boston, giving it up still looks like a chore.

“The simple pass sometimes seems to be the hardest thing to make," Udoka told BSJ last month. "(Gregg) Popovich showed Tony Parker film for 15 years of not getting off the ball. So it doesn’t happen overnight”

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week

Atlanta (14-15): This feels more and more like the team that'll turn desperate by the trade deadline, considering their health status, needs and the consolidation opportunity their array of salaries and future picks could provide. De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic remain out, but those aren't players the Hawks should expect to completely change the team's fortunes in an area they've long struggled with. Trae Young notched his 100th career double-double with 34 points and 10 assists on Friday, losing and allowing 133 points to a undermanned Denver team. They lost on Monday too, allowing 132 points to Houston. Atlanta ranks 24th in defense and third in offense. There's a gap to be closed there. 

Boston (15-15): Al Horford, Grant Williams, Jabari Parker, Juancho Hernángomez and Sam Hauser entered COVID protocol late this week. Romeo Langford went down with a neck injury during Friday's loss to Golden State and Dennis Schröder missed the game with a non-COVID illness. The losses pulled Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard into heavy minutes against the Warriors, and it wasn't pretty. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins picked the pair of sophomores apart, and the shooters Boston selected one year ago seem to sparsely play for a reason. They're getting little from either behind the arc. 

Jaylen Brown returned from his long hamstring strain recovery looking more like himself, shooting 14-for-29 with 39 points in his first two games back. 

Brooklyn (21-8): The best team in the east got a boost. Kyrie Irving is back. Brooklyn announced amid COVID and injuries, they'll welcome back Irving for road games, despite him remaining ineligible for games in Barclays Center while unvaccinated. First, Irving will need to pass through COVID protocol and get back in shape through a packed schedule that won't allow for much practice. 

The Nets play Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday at home, before heading to the west coast on Thursday for the first potential date of his return -- Dec. 23 at Portland. Irving also can't play at the Knicks or Raptors. Brooklyn visits Boston Mar. 1. 

James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre' Bembry, Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter, James Johnson and Paul Millsap are in COVID protocols. Nic Claxton (wrist) and Joe Harris (ankle) are battling injuries. 

Charlotte (16-15): They play in shootouts nearly every night. They're back at full strength though, something few NBA teams can say right now. LaMelo Ball returned from COVID protocol after missing six games with 27 points and five assists during Friday's loss at Portland. The Hornets' 116 points wasn't enough, allowing 125. Gordon Hayward's 41 points on 15-for-19 shooting topped San Antonio on Wednesday. Before that, Sacramento and Dallas scored 120 on Charlotte's defense in back-to-back games. They now rank last in defense by more than one point per 100 possessions behind 29th-ranked Orlando. 

When Mason Plumlee leaves the floor, the Hornets allow 11.5 points more per 100 possessions, an on-off split that ranks in the 97th percentile defensively.

Chicago (17-10): Demar DeRozan, Coby White and Javonte Green rejoined the team late this week from COVID protocols. The NBA postponed two Bulls games, against the Pistons on Tuesday and at Toronto on Thursday, as 10 Chicago players entered protocols. They're scheduled to play for the first time in a week against the Lakers Saturday, with Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosunmu, Alize Johnson, Troy Brown Jr., Derrick Jones Jr. and Matt Thomas still likely sidelined for at least this game. Thomas would be the most likely to play, 11 days out from his positive test, while Jones reached his 10th day on Sunday. 

Cleveland (19-12): Quietly one of the best teams statistically in the NBA, ranking second in defense and 18th in offense. Four of their losses came without Evan Mobley, and they've won five straight with another pair of double-digit victories over Miami and Houston. They'll hit the road for three games in Milwaukee, Atlanta and Boston, a chance to continue their streak against teams missing players and struggling defensively, in the Hawks' case. Mobley (hip) is banged up, but not expected to miss any time. Their core eight rotation players all post net ratings better than +4.0. They've made it this far through injuries, there's no reason to not believe they're a playoff team now. Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro are a joy to watch, they're a League Pass must, without much national TV shine. It'll come. 

Dallas (14-14): Reportedly called Brooklyn about Irving. That's obviously not happening now, so their search to improve the roster after the Kristaps Porzingis deal fell short of expectations continues. They lost a heartbreaker in overtime on a buzzer-beater to the Lakers. Luka Doncic continues to miss games with ankle soreness and will sit again on Sunday. Meanwhile, ESPN documented the end to his former coach Rick Carlisle's time in Dallas this week, with the player and coach not exactly conciliatory through the exit, with bad feelings originating with Dennis Smith Jr.'s tenure and departure:

"It wasn't really about how Rick treated Luka," a former teammate said. "Luka hated how Rick treated other people."

Denver (15-14): Nikola Jokic finishing fourth in the first ESPN MVP straw poll felt too low, considering his unmatched on-off splits we've documented here before and another win behind his 20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals coming on Friday without key pieces around him. Jokic has rookie Bones Hyland scoring 24 points alongside him in a game, Denver approaching top-10 status on offense and the star's game is simply better than it was last season. Sure, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo's big seasons make this a tight race. No player is more singularly valuable than Jokic right now. 

Detroit (4-24): Narrowly missed another chance to end their losing streak, which now stands at 13. Jerami Grant's thumb surgery won't help matters, as he prepares to miss 4-6 weeks as the helm of the worst offense in the league. Saddiq Bey got back on track with 28 points in Thursday's loss to Indiana, after he had ranked among the league's worst shooters early in the season. Cade Cunningham did too, now showing his versatility on both ends nightly. They shouldn't overreact to the losing with Kelly Olynyk and Grant out, but they should start looking to trade those two and Frank Jackson soon ahead of the trade deadline.

Golden State (24-6): They'll need to wait longer to welcome Klay Thompson back, with Woj reporting a likely early-January return. 

In the meantime, Jordan Poole entered COVID protocol, while Curry kept cruising in Boston for 30 points in the Warriors' third straight win. He's struggling with efficiency lately, shooting 22-for-59 before his 8-for-21 performance over the Celtics. In case you didn't hear, he became the all-time three point record holder, breaking Ray Allen's mark set 10 years ago. The record now stands at 2,982 and counting. 

Houston (10-20): Upset about Garrison Mathews' shooting explosion down south? The Rockets are so thrilled they signed the two-way guard to a four-year deal on Friday, waiving Danuel House Jr. The marksman cooled down this week, shooting 8-for-32 over Houston's last four games as the team got back to its losing ways, dropping four of the last five. Meanwhile, chatter around the league has the Rockets potentially getting involved in a Ben Simmons trade, as a facilitator.

Indiana (13-18): A good week for Domantas Sabonis' trade value, if they're listening to calls on the all star. He broke a streak of 13 straight games with 10 or more rebounds during Thursday's win over Detroit, averaging 23.3 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.3 SPG on 67.5% shooting over Indiana's last three games before that. The Pacers star reportedly wants out himself as the team eyes a rebuild its governor denied this week.

Clippers (16-14): Paul George continues to miss time with an elbow injury. They had won four straight before a crushing defeat at Utah, where Marcus Morris and Eric Bledsoe each scored 20 points in an otherwise dead offensive performance by the Clippers. Morris became the latest player to knock the Jazz after losing badly to them. 

Serge Ibaka's standing on the team seems uncertain going forward. Could the team's third big man net them anything? They could use wing depth with Nic Batum and George battling injuries, and Kawhi Leonard continuing his ACL rehab. 

Lakers (16-14): Quickly returned Russell Westbrook from COVID protocol, while Avery Bradley, Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker and Dwight Howard remained out. Austin Reaves joined the list after hitting the game-winning three over Dallas on Wednesday, along with Kendrick Nunn, before the Timberwolves easily discarded the thin Lakers. Anthony Davis (knee) fell out midway through the game, and will now miss roughly four weeks with an MCL sprain. The team activated Trevor Ariza for the first time this season, but he didn't play. 

Memphis (19-11): A home court team in the west if the season ended today. A brilliant coaching job by Taylor Jenkins through a league-worst defense to begin the year and a Ja Morant injury that could've derailed their hot start. They extended their win streak to five with 10-point wins over the 76ers, Blazers and Kings. Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. have taken turns leading the offense in Morant's absence, while the team's defense ranks No. 1 in the NBA this month. Morant could return this weekend from COVID protocol. 

Miami (18-12): They continue to receive astounding performances from the depth of their roster. Gabe Vincent hit seven threes and scored 26 points in Miami's win over Philadelphia without Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo. Former Celtics training camp invitee Max Strus scored 32 points in the Heat's win on Friday over Orlando. Butler (illness, tailbone) and Adebayo (thumb) remain out for the foreseeable future, with the Heat continuously finding ways to sustain. 

Milwaukee (19-13): Giannis Antetokounmpo, Wes Mathews, Donte Divencenzo and Bobby Portis entered COVID protocol this week. Khris Middleton, Semi Ojeleye and Demarcus Cousins missed Wednesday's game, which Milwaukee still won behind Jrue Holiday's 26 points. His 40 fell short against New Orleans Friday, while Grayson Allen shot 7-for-12 from three as he remains one of the league's best offseason acquisitions. 

Minnesota (14-15): Won three straight over Portland, Denver and the Lakers, even with Anthony Edwards entering COVID protocol late this week. Karl-Anthony Towns, Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell carried the offense in his place, combining for 62 points Friday. Their fully-loaded starting lineup remains the best statistically in the NBA, suffocating Portland late on Sunday. 

New Orleans (10-21): Every week it's worse news regarding Zion Williamson. He received a biologic injection in his right foot, and will miss another 4-6 weeks until further imaging. He's not playing this season, is he? In good news: Devonte' Graham hit one of the longest game-winning shots ever. 

New York (13-17): The defense got worse since they benched Kemba Walker (core four allowing 121 points per 100), though the veteran guard still remains far from playing again. Even as Derrick Rose fell with an ankle injury this week, the Knicks still leaned on rookies Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes in the back court, who entered COVID protocol this week, while Alec Burks remains the point guard. Tom Thibodeau's stance on Walker drew criticism from Jamal Crawford, Kenny Smith and others this month, before Walker responded with 29 points in a spot start and revenge game at Boston. 

Oklahoma City (9-19): Aleksej Pokusevski, Tre Mann and Ty Jerome went to the G-League from a team that already resembles a G-League collective. They've lost three straight and 11-of-13. They rank last in net rating (-15.4) this month by almost four points per 100 possessions, scoring 102.6 per 100. 

Orlando (6-25): Wendell Carter Jr. suffered a scary right leg injury and left the floor in a wheelchair Friday. He'd been averaging a double-double and signed a four-year extension with the Magic. He'll undergo further evaluation. 

Philadelphia (15-15): Stuck in neutral. The 76ers rank 27th in offense this month and have lost three straight since their impressive win over the Warriors. The team's shooters have all fallen back to earth, in the low-30s aside from Shake Milton this month. Trade talks between Daryl Morey and his former colleagues around the league could reportedly continue to heat up over the next month regarding Ben Simmons. 

Phoenix (23-5): Seven Suns scored double-figures in a blowout win over the Wizards on Thursday. Watching Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton play off each other remains a joy, and they're still winning handily without Devin Booker, who could potentially return this weekend. 

Portland (12-18): Now out of the playoff picture following a seven-game losing streak they ended on Friday by beating the Hornets. Damian Lillard shook off his struggles returning from an abdominal injury by scoring 43 points. Every Blazer except Lillard could reportedly be had at the NBA Trade Deadline as the Blazers acknowledge either a rebuild or reshape, but it will be difficult to shake up this core with Robert Covington struggling, Jusuf Nurkic unsigned next season and CJ McCollum expensive and injured. Even Lillard, who would obviously garner interest, has mostly struggled this year. Are they too late to rebuild?

Sacramento (12-18): Nursing perhaps the worst of the NBA's COVID outbreaks, with head coach Alvin Gentry in protocols alongside De'Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Davion Mitchell, Alex Len, Terence Davis and Louis King as the Kings shut down their practice facility due to COVID concerns. Interim coach Doug Christie oversaw a win against the Wizards on Wednesday. Otherwise, this group has lost four of their last five games as the defense continuously reels. 

San Antonio (11-17): Beat the Jazz behind Keldon Johnson and Derrick White's 46 points. The young core has definitely made strides this season, with Dejounte Murray likely to draw all-star looks averaging 17.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 8.5 APG and 1.9 SPG. Thad Young wants a trade, so they do have to make at least one deal this year, unless he ends up waived like LaMarcus Aldrige. 

Toronto (14-15): OG Anunoby spoke Friday following his absence since Nov. 18 with a hip pointer. He could potentially return today against the Warriors, as Khem Birch also nears a return following 10 games off with a knee injury. 

Utah (20-9): Hired none other than Danny Ainge alongside GM Justin Zanik, who is still expected to oversee the team day-to-day. Ainge's voice in final decisions appears undoubtedly large though, and arrives surprisingly following his retirement from the Celtics in June. Why couldn't Ainge have taken a similarly scaled-back role in Boston? He said he needed a break from the Celtics, while contending to Boston Sports Journal that the Celtics moved on with a new staff. 

"Boston has moved on (with) capable people," he said. "I just felt the organization was in great hands."

Washington (16-15): Lost four straight and rank 24th offensively and 26th defensively this month. Spencer Dinwiddie is shooting 29.7% from the field this month, the team hemorrhages points in the paint and Bradley Beal is still struggling from deep (30.3% this month). Their rotation meshed so well early in the season, falling to 2-8 after a 13-7 start. The collapse raises new intrigue about Beal's future, since he could potentially become a free agent this summer. 

“I’m not gonna make that grand commitment and it doesn’t work," he said. "Ultimately, you have to be selfish at some point and for probably the first time in my career, Year 10, I am. And so I’m kinda taking advantage of it in a way."