#1 Tatum’s ankle
Where better place to start than the first turning point of the game? Early in the first quarter, Jayson Tatum hobbled off the court. A slight tie-up of feet with Brandin Podziemski saw the All-Star forward tweak his ankle. He wasn’t the same when he returned. His lateral movement was limited. He looked tentative to drive.
Worst of all, he settled for some “what are you thinking” kind of looks.
#2 Tatum’s shot selection
The above clip shows Tatum settling for a tightly contested three. There are eight seconds on the clock when he goes into his shooting motion, which is more than enough time for him to find someone who can pressure the rim. Why he chose to let it fly in such tough circumstances is beyond me.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t Tatum’s only poor shot attempt against the Warriors.
Here’s another. This time, he drags his dribble off a pick-and-roll. Usually, Tatum likes to draw two on these actions because it allows him to lift his head and find the open man. Not this time. Two defenders on the move, pull-up three. Why? I have no idea.
And then, there was this heave at the end of the fourth. Again, with about eight seconds on the clock.
I get it; an ankle sprain limits your movements. It hurts. And you’ve probably lost a step or two in explosiveness. However, if your limitations hurt the team, take a seat and accept it’s not your night. Don’t be out there in the hope that you can channel some of Steph Curry’s scoring ability and get hot off the dribble.
#3 Joe Mazzulla not calling a timeout
Nothing new to see here. Joe Mazzulla once again opted against calling a timeout. Sometimes, I agree with that decision. In this instance, with the Warriors surging and the Celtics appearing lethargic when getting into their sets, letting them play things out was a mistake.
Yes, the timeout would have allowed the Warriors to reset their defense. However, it’s not like Boston was sprinting up the court and flattening out the Warriors defense anyway. The Celtics needed some direction. Things weren’t going their way. This is when Mazzulla needed to stamp his touch. Instead, Boston limped into another contested three, and the game went to overtime.
I’m a big fan of going no timeout. You get to avoid going against a set defense. They opponent can’t sub in their best defenders.
But if the ball gets stopped, and the clock is almost gone, just call the timeout and run something. You have a binder full of ATOs…
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