30 Days 30 Team Celtics: Tatum is injured, what should Jaylens do?

Last season, Tatum ranked fourth in the regular season MVP vote and second in the East, second only to Giannis.

The previous seasons were all third in the Eastern Conference (Embid, Giannis and Brunson were turning back and forth).

This reminds me of: the last Celtic player in the top two in the East? KG in the championship season.

One...Bird?

Now, however, Tatum fell.

Durant gave Tatum a gentle proposal: For players recovering from a tear of the Achilles tendon, the most important thing is to accept: accept the fact that they will be "absent for a year" and don't try to challenge. The most direct result of Tatum's injury: He fell down with all attendance in 121 playoffs in the past seven years, and the Celtics, who won the 2018-24 finals, officially entered the transition mode. Holiday Horford Poggins and others flew separately.

The best-minded perspective: After KG was injured in the 2008-09 season, everyone in the Celtics broke out, especially Rondo proved that he could fight Ross in the playoffs. The Celtics re-installed the game the following year and once led the Lakers 3-2 in the finals. Will there be a similar activation effect when Tatum is injured?

The biggest problem for the Celtics next season will be defense: after losing Poggins, Horford and Holiday, the team's playing time will probably be:

Jaylen, White, Anthony Simmons, Prichard, Hauser, Quita, Boucher, Nion, Garsa, Tillman/Minault...?

The starting lineup is probably: Prichard + White + Jaylen +? +Quita. What will this "?" be?

- Nian has a common feeling of an old Celtic bench: he shoots three points and enjoys everyone. He occasionally gets a piece of meat in winter, making people feel like "Is this guy really an athlete or a coach?" But he is as cute as a dessert on the night of winning.

- Boucher can provide shooting (but not much) and defense (but not much), and at his age, he can provide 15 minutes of high-intensity confrontation per game, and then...

- Hauser is the climax switch of the Celtics. One three-pointer can ignite the court with a defense and attack, and it is also suitable for the Celtics' speed next season. The only question: Can he and Quita defend the penalty area?

From the kindest perspective: Next season, the Celtics should take off and speed up, right?

Previously, the Celtics exchanged Holiday for Anthony Simmons, and two second rounds.

Ansy has averaged 20 points and 4 assists in the past four years, an excellent basket: he is CJ McIlome and Tangelo Russell, the kind of "I can't make the playoffs as an ace attacker, but I can make the team's offense like that, slow-motion replay can make you amazed the exquisiteness of my technique."

But: You need to hold the ball but are not a good organizer; when you encounter a leader and arrow showing your muscles, you will be pushed and shoved, and your playing style will easily bet on the jump shot, and then you will wrap a towel on the bench and breathe heavily - you are naturally suitable for a strong team to serve as the third leader or the sixth person;

Only Holiday will have hundreds of millions of contracts in the next three years. Anxi 2026 contract expires. The Celtics took the opportunity to get rid of a big burden and became younger. It is said that it should give the Trail Blazers a draft pick - the result was that the Trail Blazers gave the draft pick.

Celtics: Oh, I'm so heavy that I can't even hold it straight.

Trail Blazers: I will take you off, and you will get a lightweight baggage and give you two pancakes.

I think Ansie will spend next season under Stevens's scrutiny. The following conversation is purely what I imagined.

Stevens: Let him understand that this is his last season to start with a strong league team. If he can play, he can stay. We let him be a not-so-complete but more fancy moves. If he can't play, he will use his expiration contract and draft picks to exchange for other people, and let him play as a substitute for other strong teams.

Mazula: Will doing this hurt him too much?

Stevens: Just PUA, so he will be willing to renew his contract as the fourth in the team at a low price. Of course, the best situation is that he plays a season like Thomas Jr., and then there is a team that is unhappy to exchange for a star who is unhappy to stay for a long time.

I think how Simmons adapted, and Keita, Garza and Minot's performances could probably make the Celtics swing between the top six in the Eastern Conference or miss the playoffs. Minot finds the rhythm to provide vitality. Kaita is practicing three-pointers: he takes slow shots, but at least he is a three-pointer!

Prichard, the sixth man of the year last season, was not a pure shooter: when he was in Oregon, he was a very comprehensive player. However, due to the limited talent, he has become a fixed-point shooter and a weak-side threat in the Celtics. He also tried hard to adapt.

Defensive end, he is often targeted, but he is good at standing in front of his opponent and trying hard to chase the ball - although his figure is not enough to put pressure on him.

When he encounters a tough defender, he will also stop, but as long as he gives him some space, he can shoot in. His method is: if the three-pointer will be interfered by the opponent, then choose to take two steps back and shoot a long three-pointer.

He is not an NBA-level ball-holder creator, but he has a ball quotient and vision. He was used to holding the ball while in Oregon. In the NBA, he has at least one 8 assist game every season. He is reliable when just putting on the plate.

I think the most suitable template for him is Old Horacek and JJ Redick.

Next season, can he really become the jazz version of Hornersek?

Derek White broke the Celtics' three-point shooting record last season: he is not even the Celtics' top three-point shooter, and the four in the first seven miles of the three-point record in Cay's history are Tatum. Tatum led the team with three-point shots last season, but White made more shots - of course, it is difficult for Tatum to make moves, and it is more of a strong shot, but White came from behind in his thirties:

The Spurs have 300 three-pointers in four and a half years, and 265 last season.

He came to the first year finals, the second year Eastern Conference Finals, and the third year overall championship, and signed a contract of hundreds of millions: now, he has to bear everything.

White is already the most versatile player in the NBA today, and this versatility basically comes from acquired cultivation. He can hold the ball and instigate, he can cut the gap, and he can shoot from a long shot at a fixed point. He can assist, he can attack, and may even be the best defender in history. Calm and tough, and can find the most suitable role for you at any time. What is likely to happen next season: Usually, the Celtics will have three attacks, and then become the Celtics' main attack when needed, and the influence data will lead the team.

The previous defender who was so distinctive that "no matter what the team needs, can provide it immediately, disappears from the bench when the team does not need it, and has won the Olympic gold medal", was probably Ginobili.

Oh, by the way, he was also from the Spurs.

Then, Jaylen Brown.

As the 2024 Finals MVP, Jaylen's regular season statistics fell for the third consecutive year last season - but his free throws and assists improved.

He holds the ball more, relies on strength to suppress small, and relies on speed to play large, causing trouble to most opponents in one-on-one offense and defense. He is trying to go from a tough bull to an all-around trump card, although most of the time the Celtics don't need him to be an all-around trump card.

Then at this moment, the Celtic all-around ace Tatum fell.

Jaylen had two opportunities to prove himself in his career:

Tatum was injured in the seventh game of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, and he could have supported the team to enter the finals, but failed.

The following year's finals, he won the championship and won the finals MVP.

Now, he may prove that he is the real ace of the Celtics and can be the better of the two masters in the future: the team needs him as well. During the offseason, Brown made a poetic metaphor: "The moon stole light from the sun, but people would never confuse the two... People would imitate you, take your style, take your jargon, but the sun still shines every day."

"I have dealt with anxiety, even depression. I have been to some very dark places, but I feel that those dark places make my light shine."

"I have to Change the role, the style. I had to do things that other players as talented as me have never done before...I have always been a team guy. I feel that sometimes it is taken for granted.

I am one of the talented people in this league...I look forward to showing more to the world."

His boxer dad doesn't let him worry, but next season if he can really handle this intricate situation, it's the moment he really proves himself.

2006 first team center Sharks and second team guard Wade reached the finals, and Wade won the championship and won the finals MVP; in 2008, the next year of the Sharks left, Wade proved with a scoring season that he was the king of Miami.

Is Jaylen OK?