Celtics star reveals his wider impact on side without Jayson Tatum, ‘allowed me to be more…’
The Boston Celtics were beaten in a shock defeat to the Orlando Magic in their most recent game and the absence of one star was clearly felt.
Despite the teams only being separated by two spots in the Eastern Conference, Celtics second and Magic fourth, the road side were the huge favourites heading into Florida, despite some recent patchy form.
The Celtics however would be dealt a major early blow with star man and potential MVP Jayson Tatum being ruled out of the game through illness. He had been named in the sides starting lineup.
Tatum’s absence would be felt offensively with the side dropping a season-low 104 points in the 108-104 defeat.
Kristaps Porzingis failed to fill the void left by Tatum as he scored just 17 points. Al Horford recently advised the Latvian on how he can help the Celtics side.
One man who did try to carry the Celtics team to success however was Jaylen Brown. He scored 35 points and added nine rebounds and four assists.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Brown on impact without Tatum
While the loss of someone with the quality of Tatum is always going to be fiercely felt by the Celtics, Brown showed that he can step up when it matters.
Despite the loss his performance was a standout and it highlights how he can operate at the highest level even without Tatum on the court.
Brown was some way off his career-best points-scoring game which came against the Magic in 2022 where he scored 50 points but he outscored anyone else on the pitch against the Magic by 15 points.
After the game, Jaylen Brown was asked about the impact of Tatum being a late withdrawal due to illness and how it impacted his game.
He told reporters: “Erm nothing, It just allowed me to be more aggressive and comfortable. I would’ve liked to get to the foul line a lot more, using my physicality and aggression, but tonight, on the road, it just wasn’t the case. I’m adjusting to that. Being more physical.”
Brown went on to explain how Tatum plays a big part in the team’s offensive work but felt the side performed well at stages without their star.
“But obviously, JT [Jayson Tatum] is a big part of our offense, but I thought we got off to a great start in the first half; the ball was moving, we played well.
“In the second half, we just didn’t meet the level of physicality that we need to in certain spots. So, we gotta be better in that regard.”
Celtics’ record without Tatum explored
While one man does not create a whole team, a playmaker like Tatum certainly helps the overall balance and structure of the Celtics side.
The Celtics have a strong roster and the absence of Tatum, despite not being ideal, isn’t the end of the world with Porzingis and Brown on the court.
That being said the side has a much poorer win record when they are without Tatum. Their record without the five-time NBA All-Star stands at 23-21, quite low for a side that regularly runs deep into the playoffs.
To give the Tatum number some perspective the side is 69-32 without Brown, some difference.
It appears the Celtics are beginning to learn how to play without Tatum though, if you discount the Magic display, as the side is 8-1 without Tatum since the start of last season.
It is clear that both Brown and Tatum are important pieces in the Celtics’ organization and having them both on the pitch together can only be beneficial.
