Jayson Tatum Went Into Minnesota And Once Again Showed The World Why He's The Best Young American Born Player And Future Face Of The NBA

David Berding. Getty Images.

I say it all the time when it comes to both life, and this basketball team.

Perspective is important.

Everyone knows the Celtics December was one of the worst months of basketball in the entire Joe Mazzulla Era. For some teams, an 8-6 month is a success. For this team? It's pathetic. It's inexcusable. It's downright offensive. The Celts ended 2024 with a 2-3 stretch, and the picture didn't look all that great.

But here's the beauty of perspective. It all depends on how you look at things. Yes, it's true the Celts have had a bit of a rough go of late. But it's also true that they've technically won 3 of their last 4. You see, as long as you manipulate the schedule in ways that don't make you want to put your head in the oven, things suddenly aren't as bad as the doomers will want you to believe.

In terms of last night's win to kick off their massive 4 game West Coast trip (MIN/HOU/OKC/DEN), to have that type of performance while both Jaylen Brown and KP miss the game is big time stuff. Then again, this is what we've come to expect from the best road team in the NBA these last two years. They are road warriors for a reason, whether that's during the regular season or playoffs, nobody does it better (they are 21-8 on the road in the playoffs since 2022 btw).

Personally, I love every matchup against MIN because they are one of the few teams in the NBA that have the roster construction that in theory can match up with the Celts' strengths. Few teams in the NBA are better at limiting 3PA than MIN, they have size and length on the wing with great perimeter defenders. They have one of the best rim protectors on earth on the back line. Their 3P shooting has gone way up this season both in terms of volume and efficiency. It's a great test between two teams who seem to have a knack for playing close games. 

So to see the Celts put up that type of performance with nearly 50 points of offense in street clothes is impressive as hell and the perfect way to kick off this road trip. Frankly, it was a performance they needed to have as it served as the perfect reminder that hey, the defending champs are pretty good! That Jayson Tatum fella, not bad! 

A big win like this means nothing if you give it right back tonight on the B2B against HOU, but we'll deal with that later. For now, let's relive what was arguably one of the best overall wins of the young season.

The Good

- As much as some may try and move the goalposts now that the game is over and we all saw what happened, let's be truthful about what this matchup was. Aside from a contender and a team that hopes to be a contender going to battle, the underlying storyline was of course Tatum vs Ant. It was a measuring stick game, plain and simple. Had Ant gone crazy, he'd be crowned as "next" and "the face of the NBA" etc etc. You know how that goes.

For Celtics fans who have watched Tatum actually achieve all the things Ant seems to be given credit for without actually doing, this always made me laugh. The gaslighting can only do so much, eventually, what happens on the floor matters more than a viral clip, and in this game NBA Champion Jayson Tatum reminded both Ant and the world of who really runs this shit.

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Mind you, Tatum took only 2 FTA in this game. It didn't matter what the Wolves threw at Tatum, he had the answer to every question on the test. Any time the Wolves tried to blitz him off a high screen with a double, Tatum took a breath and calmly found his teammate for an easy bucket. You know, what a superstar should do.

When it came time to abuse Rudy Gobert in space, Tatum actively hunted that man. That's the problem the Wolves are going to have to figure out, and we saw Luka do the same shit last playoffs. They need Gobert on the floor for his rim protection and rebounding, but the elites are going to put him in space and bury him, especially if they are able to thrive on pull up 3PA. He's a world class defender, but even he has issues in space like any other 7fter. It felt like every possession he was on the floor Tatum activated the Killer Whale offense which he pulled off flawlessly.

We don't talk enough about the fact that Jayson Tatum is having one of the best isolation seasons in the NBA. He ranks in the 94th percentile in iso offense, averaging 1.16 PPP on 46% shooting. By comparison, SGA is at 1.05 on 45%, KD is at 1.07 on 50%, Brunson at 1.10 on 50%, Mitchell 1.09 on 46% etc. What used to be a weakness has now turned into one of his greatest strengths, and this performance was an example of what that looks like. 

Most importantly, Tatum also took care of the basketball (2 TOs). Limiting your TOs against the MIN defense is half the battle because it forces their mostly mid offense to beat you in the halfcourt, as opposed to bleeding transition points which were a huge factor in the Celts recent losses. Given how much he had the ball, Tatum's ball security was fantastic.

The of course, there was also this

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Hell yes. This is why I always laugh whenever I hear the take that Tatum isn't competitive or has that "killer instinct" like Anthony Edwards does, all because Ant yells. It's very bizarre.

Not only did he ask for the assignment, but he dominated it, holding Ant to just 6 points on 2-5 (0-2) shooting in a team high 24 possessions. This is what people need to accept when it comes to Jayson Tatum. He is a TWO WAY superstar. He guards all 5 positions at an elite level while also giving you unstoppable offense. I'm not sure how many more times he needs to show this to the world before the haters and losers of which there are many finally just accept reality, but you can add last night to the list.

- In a game like this with the firepower that was out, it means everyone else has to elevate their game a few levels, especially offensively. You'll remember, Jaylen had an efficient 29 in the previous win over MIN, so someone was going to have to step up and fill in that production.

No problem, that's exactly what Bald Derrick was born to do

Boy is it nice to see Derrick start to work his way out of his shooting slump, especially on C&S 3PA. After pretty much missing every shot he took for the majority of December, he's now back to 50/44% splits with 3.7 3PA over his last 6 games. I'm at the point where I'm not sure I want any other Celtic taking an end of clock 3PA other than Derrick. Nobody on this roster makes more live grenade shots than White, and the later the game gets in the 4th quarter and the bigger the stakes are, he gets even better.

I'm sure some MIN fans saw this make and couldn't believe it went in (insane that these were their final points)

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But this is a situation we as Celtics fans have seen Derrick make a million times since he showed up in 2022. I've blogged plenty of times about how Derrick White clearly has the clutch gene flowing through his body, and that shot right there is a perfect example of it.

With everyone wanting to find the reason why the Celts were dropping games, the honest answer is really that their defense was dogshit and their good shooters couldn't make an open 3PA to save their lives. It shouldn't be a surprise that once they start to play a lick of defense and guys stop missing every shot they take, suddenly the Celts are having big wins like this. 

It was also nice to see Derrick get over his ball security issues. We've really seen some truly bonehead turnovers from him these last few weeks which felt very strange, mostly because White never makes mistakes. It's one of his best qualities in my opinion, so 0 TOs in 36 minutes against that defense was impressive as hell. 

- The impact Jrue Holiday has made since returning from injury is impossible to ignore. On both ends of the floor, he's been about as perfect as you could want. Efficient, aggressive, elite defense, ball security, it's no secret the team has looked a lot better on both ends since he came back. 

Another guy who stepped up and filled his role perfectly with guys out, I'm at the point where I'm totally fine with putting Jrue on the Al Horford plan at his age. A rested Holiday is a different beast, and the way he's playing now sort of confirms that he's been coasting a little bit so far this season which is fine by me. I know that when he needs to tap in and get serious, we get the caliber of play we've seen in these back to back wins (52/58% splits with 3.5 3PM, 6.0 AST and 0 TOs).

What I really liked about his night was that nothing was forced. His scoring was important, but he did it within his role and based on what the game needed. At times, it was his 3PM which felt massive in the moment. Other times it was creating for others all while playing All NBA caliber defense.

The Celts are going to need this version of Jrue for the rest of this trip, and honestly I wouldn't even hate sitting him on the B2B tonight so he's rested for OKC on Sunday.

- As a team, the Celtics only turning the ball over 4 times against a defense that forces on average 15 a game was big time stuff. Ball pressure usually gives this team some issues, especially when it comes to taking care of the basketball, but they felt ready for MIN's pressure right from the opening jump.

That's encouraging because that's an approach a lot of teams think can be the solve. The good news is a lot of the other teams in the NBA do not have the perimeter defenders that MIN does, so to be able to take care of the ball like that against their pressure will have you ready for the time another team with worse defenders tries it. To do that well without Jaylen/KP is certainly not what I expected, but I'm more than pleased that it happened.

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That lack of TOs played a huge role in one of the biggest factors in why the Celts pulled out this win, which was shot disparity. They took 92 FGA to MIN's 74. So despite getting killed in the glass and MIN never really missing, the Celts were able to absorb those hits because they were great on the offensive glass and took care of the basketball, two things that ultimately play a huge role in your overall FGA.

- Welcome back Sam Hauser, we have all missed you dearly

A very important 5-11 (5-11) from the floor, just like with Derrick White it feels like we're starting to see Hauser snap out of his early season funk. Since December 1st, Hauser has played in 11 games, and is currently shooting 48/43% with 2.5 3PM a night. Over his last 3, he's up to 50% from deep with 4.0 3PM.

So despite what Kenny wanted you to believe last night, Sam Hauser taking open 3s is actually a good thing, because he's very good at them! 

It was vital that the shooters were able to produce in this game, and Hauser backpacking the non-Tatum minutes in the second quarter was arguably one of the biggest stretches of the game. He's the type of shooter where he only needs to see one go in before the floodgates open, and once he's on a roll there's nothing an opposing defense can do. His release is too quick and his confidence is too high. There's a reason Joe Mazzulla and the entire organization empowers their bench shooters, and this game was exactly why.

- Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was the fact that Neemias Queta was the best center on the floor at times in a game that included Rudy Gobert. What a massive performance off the bench and another guy who really helped the Celts survive without Tatum on the floor

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His energy was incredible, and his unwillingness to ever quit on a play is how he's going to find more consistent minutes. Neemy's OREB is a legit weapon, and good on Joe for pressing that button. This was a game you needed as many cracks at the rim as possible given who was out, so that meant Queta was going to have to be impactful in his minutes, which he was.

There are still mistakes, there are still blown coverages and slow decision making at times. But for a 3rd or 4th center? There's something there with Queta and I really believe that with consistent run he can be a legitimate reserve center.

- Holding the Wolves to just 16 points in the 2nd quarter was probably the best collective team defense we've seen from the Celtics this season.

After allowing 35 points in the 1st quarter, the game completely flipped once the Celts got serious about defending. Granted it was the only quarter of the game they held MIN to under 30 points, but they do not win this game without that defensive effort.

The 22 3PM was nice and all, but that 2nd quarter defense was the backbone of this win, as it always is. 

- Celts are now 13-1 when they make at least 20 3PM but yeah, they should take less. Good idea morons! 

The Bad

- I can understand the idea and why Joe has the Celtics leave terrible shooters open and dare them to consistently make shots, but that doesn't mean it's not extremely annoying watching all these dogshit shooters do nothing but make open 3PA against the Celts.

We saw it with Caleb Martin who you'll never believe this but has gone back to being a brick after his 7-9 performance on Christmas. We saw it with Jerace Walker on IND going 3-5, and we saw it last night with a guy like Jaden McDaniels, a 30% shooter go 4-8. It was his first game all season where he made 4 3PM, which is something I feel like I'm putting in every log.

I'm not sure what the hell is going on, but this magnet bullshit has to stop. I get it, NBA players can make wide open shots, well then explain Al Horford? He's a 40% shooter who can't make an open 3 right now to save his life, but a 30% shooter is going 4-8? Julius Randle is going 5-7? 

Opponent 3P and 3P% was an issue in the month of December, and so far in 2025 it still looks to be a problem. I'm not saying the Celts defense should sell out to closeout on a poor outside shooter, but I think there can be a better balance between leaving them completely wide open and at least showing some sort of effort to contest it. 

- Let's hope the day off today helps reset Al's legs, because his outside shooting is nowhere close right now and that's really limiting what this team can do offensively. The wide open safety valve 3s are so important, and right now Al's in like e a 2-24 rut or something along those lines. Nowhere close to good enough.

- This might have been the worst fastbreak we've seen this season. A 3 on 1 like that cannot end in a possession with 0 points. That was bad

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Jayson, I know it's in your DNA to always make the right play and be unselfish, but just dunk the ball there man. You're a 6'10 monster, that needs to be a two handed finish. 

- In some ways, the Celts caught a bit of a prayer

and moving forward the defense is going to have to continue to get better. I would not call this a strong defensive performance considering MIN finished with 50/53% splits and 21 3PM, and it's certainly not a sustainable approach if your goal is to win basketball games. Almost any other time in NBA history, this type of defensive execution is a loss. That should be the takeaway if we're being honest. The defense still isn't quite there, but also two of their best defenders didn't play so you can sort of understand it.

- Jayson Tatum has the worst whistle of any superstar and NBA champion in the league and it's not even close. What the hell is this?

Mind you, a Wolves player immediately clapped after a foul in front of a ref right after this tech, and nothing happened. Just another soft ref getting in their feelings because they know deep down they missed a call, and in return they double down and call a tech.

If you want to know the real problem with the NBA's product? There you go.

The Ugly

- Destroyed on the glass (41-31), a huge FTA difference (22-6), zero 3pt defense, lost the 2nd chance points battle, the Celts really did play with fire in this win.

It's a little frustrating to watch MIN be allowed to be physical all night both on ball and off ball and it be fine, and then the Celts have to deal with not being allowed to do the same. A 16-11 foul difference, you see the FTA difference above, all I'm asking for is consistency. If you're going to let one team be physical, let both teams be physical.

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If you're going to call contact on drives for one team, call the same contact on drives for the other. It's really felt that so far this season officials are letting teams play by one set of rules while the Celts play under another. The whistles have NOT been consistent, and that's annoying as hell. 

It's not as if BOS only shot 3s and MIN didn't. 39 of their 74 FGA were 3PA! They took the same amount of FGA in the paint (27)! I'm to believe the Celts were simply never getting fouled while the Wolves were? By a team that never fouls? OK, sure thing Adam Silver you bozo.

- Stop fucking around at the FT line though. Enough of that already. 

- I didn't exactly love the approach in the final 2 minutes where it felt like the entire roster was all going for the death blow 3PM. I'm all for taking 3PA in any situation, as long as they are generated the right way. That, is not what the final 2 minutes was. A lot of standing around, a lot of dribbling, a lot of low percentage looks. I don't care about the result in these moments, I care about the process and the process was awful.

If the goal was to start this road trip of right, well then mission accomplished. The next step is building off this momentum and continuing to play the right way for a full 48 minutes. If the Celts are able to do that, the rest of this road trip will turn out just fine. If they play like dickheads, well, things can go south pretty quickly given the level of competition that's coming their way.