The Celtics were down two starters on Thursday at Oklahoma City, with Jayson Tatum (right Achilles injury management) and Derrick White (right knee contusion) both ruled out (Twitter links via the team).
Thursday will mark Tatum’s first absence since he made his season debut on March 6. He has averaged 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steal in his first three contests (27.0 minutes per game). Head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum’s day off was part of his recovery plan, per Brian Robb of MassLive.
“Just trust in our sport science team and trainers,” Mazzulla said. “The goal was always for him to come back and also to maintain his health as he continues to stay healthy and continue to get better. Just the trust and communication from our team.”
Boston’s next game will be on Saturday vs. Washington.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- In a story for The Athletic, John Hollinger examines Tatum’s first two games of the season. Hollinger didn’t notice anything awry with Tatum physically, and says with the team already playing at a very high level before he returned, the Celtics don’t need a peak version of the perennial All-NBA forward to make a deep playoff run.
- Hollinger has also been keeping tabs on Hugo Gonzalez, writing that the 20-year-old wing has played high-level defense as a rookie and is a strong rebounder for his size. According to Hollinger, Gonzalez plays with lots of energy and finishes well near the basket, especially in transition, but his jump shot and handle are shaky. The Celtics have had multiple developmental success stories the past two years, Hollinger adds, so Boston was an ideal landing spot for the Spanish small forward.
- On the Cousins podcast with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady (YouTube link), Jaylen Brown said he contemplated asking for a trade in 2019 after Boston was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, but McGrady convinced him not to. “Coming and sitting down with Mac, we spent a couple days just working out and talking, having some food, and he’s telling me like, I’m thinking like one thing and he’s thinking like, ‘nah, you need to stay, it’s going to be you.’ He’s telling me all the stuff that all just manifested itself. So, I can’t even like, it’s crazy looking back on it now,” Brown said.
- In a mailbag, Robb of MassLive states that Ron Harper Jr. is “highly likely” to have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal. Robb expects Harper’s promotion to happen on the final day of the regular season (April 12) since he still has two-way eligibility left. Harper scored a career-high 22 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) in 33 minutes during Tuesday’s loss at San Antonio and has been solid defensively for the Celtics, Robb notes.
LETS GO CELTICS.
Why isn’t Tatum traded?
The fact that OKC won the game on free throws from a foul called with 0.8 seconds left is both unsurprising and sad.
Horrible. Just because Chet is a beanpole doesn’t mean he should’ve gotten that call.
And in a game that could determine the #1 seed? OKC only gets past Spurs with the #1 seed.
Celtics get that garbage constantly. You never see the Lakers lose a game at the line.
Well yeah. Haven’t checked for a while but are Boston still dead last in free throw attempts. How bad was the Brown ejection in San Antonio.
Speaking of…Brown attacks the D, gets to the rim, scores a lot in the paint.
Yet his free throw attempts compared to the foul baiting king in Shae is downright laughable.
Boston would of knocked off both top two western seeds without the usual horses**t from the three blind mice doing the devils work.
Missing Tatum and White and only lost by 2?
See what I’m saying about OKC being soft?
Celtics might chip this year.
” it’s going to be you.”
It’s going to be interesting to see how the dynamic between Brown and Tatum develops.
Happy Tracy talked Jaylen Brown into staying back in 2019. Once you start moving teams you lose some credibility and luster. And Jaylen wasn’t as skilled as now back then. He developed – and like IT – got great here in Boston. He needs to stay here and give the Celtics a few titles over the next decade. Go Celtics!
And let me mention Baylor Scheierman’s three-point shot. When a teammate gives him a perfect pass right at his held high hands he just lets it go. And makes most of them! Wow!
Trading Simons for Nikola instead of a real PF starter killed their chances. Traded for Nikola who has started his whole career and put him behind Queta? You need a PF Celtics.
Tatum to SF, Brown to SG