Interesting read on our present starting line up and Marcus Smart

What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pelicans: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Generate 68 Points, Robert Williams Shines in Homecoming, Boston Has Its Floor General
The Celtics bounced back from Friday's loss to the Hawks with a 107-97 win over the Pelicans. The victory improves their record to 26-25. They remain in eighth place in the East.
BOBBY KRIVITSKYJAN 29, 2022
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

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The Celtics washed out the sour taste from Friday's 108-92 loss to the Hawks by capitalizing on playing against an inferior opponent on Saturday.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way, producing 68 points. With the added motivation from playing in his home state of Louisiana, Shreveport native, Robert Williams, shined in the victory, and his teammates fed off his energy; though, that's far from a unique development. And, Marcus Smart reinforced that the Celtics don't need to search for another point guard.

Here's a deep dive into what stood out from Boston's 107-97 win over the Pelicans, which improves its record to 26-25. The Celtics remain in eighth place in the East.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Combine for 68 Points

The Pelicans couldn't contain the Celtics' potent wing duo at any juncture in the game. At halftime, Jayson Tatum had 21 points, six assists, and three rebounds, while Jaylen Brown scored 17 on 6/12 shooting, and he earned a plus-minus rating of +19.

When the final buzzer blew, the tandem had combined for 68 points, with Tatum producing 38 on 17/26 (65.4 percent) shooting, and Brown racked up 31 on 11/20 shooting (55 percent), including 4/9 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc. The latter also took a game-high seven free throws, converting on five of those attempts.

Tatum also had eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

Celtics Feed Off Robert Williams' Energy

Playing in his home state seemed to give Robert Williams some extra juice. Granted, Boston's big man makes plays that raise the Celtics' energy level in every game he plays in.

Williams finished with eight points, led both teams with 18 rebounds, had four blocks and four assists, and tied Marcus Smart with a game-high plus-minus rating of +28. Beyond the numbers, his defense on the interior and when coming out to the perimeter were excellent.

Throughout the game, the Celtics fed off Williams' ability to control the paint, his rim-rattling jams, his abilities as a passer, and how effectively he screens for the likes of Tatum and Brown.

The Celtics Have Their Point Guard

Marcus Smart consistently gets Boston's offense organized. He gets his teammates the ball in advantageous positions, pushes the ball up the floor off misses and makes, and he knows who needs a touch.

Smart's also excellent at operating as the pick-and-roll ballhandler, keeping his defender on his back hip and either throwing the lob to a big or cashing in on a floater. In other words, the Celtics don't need to search for another solution at point guard. The problems typically come when someone else is orchestrating the offense. That's especially true if the individual slows the pace down.

On Saturday, Smart only had five points on six shots, but as Inside The Celtics has consistently pointed out and should be well-understood at this point, his number of field goal attempts matters, but his scoring is a bonus. More importantly, Smart led everyone with a game-high 12 assists, matching his career-best, and he played outstanding defense, helping hold the Pelicans to 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 8/33 (24.2 percent) from three.

Pelicans' Second-Unit Makes the Game Interesting

A strong performance in the third frame could have resulted in the Celtics' starters getting most of the fourth quarter off. Instead, the Pelicans, led by their second unit, who played with tremendous energy and was unquestionably better than those coming off the bench for Boston, outscored the visitors 36-26 in the third period.

I agree 100% about Smart. His scoring is bonus, as long as he doesn't take a dozen shots and misses 9 of them. More importantly, I also agree that the offense should run through him and not through you-know-whos. His pnrs are really good. Look at how many lob dunks RWill gets when Marcus is the one getting his man on his back and getting into the paint vs when either of the Js is the penetrator.

We need to settle on a back up point guard for Smart. Schroder currently has the job. Brad has 10 days to fish-or-cut-bait.


Bob


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If you watch him, he is driving the ball alot more, taking makeable layups or kicking it out to wings. I have loved the way he is playing ball. I credit the coaching staff, especially Stoudemire, are he said he was going to make it a priority to turn Marcus into a true point guard. I know there are alot on here who feel we should be looking for someone else, but, I, for one, feel we should be concentrating on a 2 and a shooter. If Pritchard is given a real shot, it could be him. I still would love a gunner off the bench, i.e, Terrence Ross. HA HA
fat chance we have at getting him. I guess instead of Fournier we should have lusted after him. I always wanted Danny to go after Lou Williams, but he is with a team who can handle his off nights, and still contributes and is a danger whenever on the floor.

That kid from New Orleans was mentioned a while ago, Hart, but if Boston wants anything these teams are going to pick someone we might not be too happy giving up.

It is not up to Brad.

He can go to the owners and ask for permission to potentially add $$$ if the team is playing really well.

If nothing happens then you can bet that the owners said no.