Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown: best duo in the NBA?

Since Danny Ainge determined to construct round Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, there was countless discuss how they might by no means win collectively. Nonetheless, final June, the 2 Boston Celtics wings turned NBA champions and raised Banner 18. On the daybreak of a brand new NBA season, are the Jays now one of the best duo within the league?

Let’s brainstorm and choose a few of their contemporaries. I picked the 5 duos I take into account one of the best within the league in the intervening time. Be at liberty to drop your top-5 within the feedback. Listed below are mine:

Nikola Jokic & Jamal Murray
LeBron James & Anthony Davis
Giannis Antetokounmpo & Damian Lillard
Kevin Durant & Devin Booker
Luka Doncic & Kyrie Irving

Amongst this checklist, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum stand out for various causes. The primary is that it’s the one duo with two gamers in related positions. You would argue that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are each level guards, however they’ve completely completely different approaches to the sport and relationships with the ball. The opposite huge distinction—and that is the place we’re going to begin digging—is that final season, out of those duos, the Jays had been the one one which carried out higher when one in every of them was on the bench.

A singular duo

Throughout the 2,180 minutes whereas the Jays had been each on the court docket, the Celtics outscored their opponents by 7.5 factors per 100 possessions. When Jayson sat and Jaylen performed, the numbers went as much as 8.8 factors per 100 possessions. When Jaylen sat and Jayson performed, the numbers elevated much more, as much as 16.7 factors per 100 possessions… however the craziest half is that the Celtics outscored their opponents by 15.4 factors per 100 possessions when each had been out! After all, the final quantity is because of small pattern variance and rubbish time. Nonetheless, the pattern of the Celtics performing higher with solely one in every of them on the court docket has persevered for years and lengthy been a speaking level for his or her critics and haters. However is that this actually an issue?

At first look, you would possibly need to say sure. Your workforce’s efficiency ought to peak when the 2 finest gamers are on the ground—like with the Bucks or Nuggets. For Denver, when Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray had been on the court docket, they outscored their opponents by 11.5 factors per 100 possessions final season. You could find the identical pattern for the Bucks duo, with a nuclear offense when each Lillard and Giannis had been on the court docket (124 factors per 100 possessions). The identical goes for Doncic and Kyrie in Dallas, or LeBron and AD in LA.

Nonetheless, whereas these duos peak when taking part in collectively, their efficiency usually drops when one half is out. So, whereas others thrive when they’re collectively and collapse when lacking a counterpart, the Jays finds a strategy to maintain performing on the similar stage, irrespective of the scenario. Subsequently, I believe we are able to argue that though this isn’t the everyday method one of the best duos affect workforce outcomes, the Jays have a singular technique of constructing the workforce higher. Nonetheless, why aren’t the performances peaking when each are on the court docket? What’s behind these numbers suggesting the Celtics are higher with one Jay on the bench?

404: Half-court synergy not discovered

When considering of the Jays on the court docket, I’ve countless recollections of their actions collectively. Nonetheless, when making an attempt to map them, I spotted that almost all of their highlights come from transition. Certainly, the Jays may be one of the best duo at operating rapidly to the opposite facet and punishing an opponent’s turnovers. Each are wonderful transition gamers and might usually make one another higher on a quick break. Nonetheless, most of a basketball recreation is performed within the half-court, and that is the place the Jays would possibly lack synergy.

The issue doesn’t stem from the redundancy of their place. From my viewpoint, it’s extra in regards to the teaching method and utilization. Additionally, whereas they could lack synergy between themselves, their synergy is improved by the roster that Brad Stevens has assembled round them.

Just lately, Mike Shearer wrote in regards to the Celtics’ most prolific passing tandems. In the event you had been anticipating to search out Jayson helping Jaylen, or vice versa, you received’t. Tatum assisted Brown solely 45 occasions, rating 14th, whereas Brown assisted Tatum simply 31 occasions. To place that into context, Brown’s 31 assists to Tatum are the identical quantity as Horford and Pritchard assists to JT.

Once more, there are two methods to view this. First, you would argue that the Jays’ lack of synergy is absolutely problematic. Alternatively, you would take a extra optimistic view and acknowledge the synergy they’ve with the remainder of the workforce. Each Jayson and Jaylen have nice chemistry with Derrick White, Jrue Vacation, Kristaps Porzingis, and Horford. We are able to additionally see rising synergy with Sam Hauser for each of them. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless moments once we see them straight play off one another. Listed below are some examples from final season:

JB baseline lower whereas JT Submit-Up:

Submit-Up JT with a Pin Down for JB:

Horns Flare:

Drive & Kick:

On the opposite facet of the court docket, they’ve a much better synergy. Defensively, Jayson Tatum may be one of the best assist defensive participant within the NBA. He’s fast, lengthy, and reads the sport very well. His means to all the time be effectively positioned helps the Celtics protection tremendously. Whereas Jayson is one one of the best off-ball defensive gamers, Jaylen Brown has proven nice point-of-attack defensive expertise over the past playoffs. Subsequently, whereas they lack offensive symbiosis, their defensive synergy is undisputed.

Now that we take a look at how the Jays carry out for the Celtics, the place do they rank among the many league finest duos?

Finest duo?

I’ve a tough time placing them above the Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. When they’re each on the ground, the Nuggets may be one of the best workforce within the league. The issue is extra about the remainder of the workforce. Similar goes with Lillard and Giannis. We haven’t seen them play within the playoffs however theoretically, they’re each among the many top-15 offensive gamers within the league and Giannis is without doubt one of the finest defensive forces.

The Jays might slot in at third. Booker and Durant are possibly near them offensively, however I’d picked Tatum and Brown’s protection and portability above the Suns duo. Then comes the Lakers. The defensive prowess of AD could possibly be an amazing argument to place the Lakers duo above the Jays, however LeBron received’t get any youthful. Nonetheless, their synergy is absolutely nice and they’re taking part in in far worse spacing than the Celtics.

Are they the most effective duos, or an excellent duo on an amazing workforce? Once more, because the numbers bear out, the Celtics nonetheless carry out nice and even higher when one is off the court docket. Of their championship season, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum improved sufficient as finishers and playmakers to boost the Celtics again to the title. They could lack synergy, however their talent set matches completely with the roster construct round them.