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

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

Let’s brainstorm and choose a few of their contemporaries. I picked the 5 duos I take into account the most effective within the league in the intervening time. Be happy to drop your top-5 within the feedback. Listed here 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 can argue that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are each level guards, however they’ve completely totally different approaches to the sport and relationships with the ball. The opposite large distinction—and that is the place we’re going to begin digging—is that final season, out of those duos, the Jays have been the one one which carried out higher when considered one of them was on the bench.

Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

A singular duo

Through the 2,180 minutes whereas the Jays have been each on the courtroom, 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 have been out! After all, the final quantity is because of small pattern variance and rubbish time. Nevertheless, the development of the Celtics performing higher with solely considered one of them on the courtroom 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 may need to say sure. Your staff’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 have been on the courtroom, they outscored their opponents by 11.5 factors per 100 possessions final season. You could find the identical development for the Bucks duo, with a nuclear offense when each Lillard and Giannis have been on the courtroom (124 factors per 100 possessions). The identical goes for Doncic and Kyrie in Dallas, or LeBron and AD in LA.

Nevertheless, 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 preserve performing on the identical degree, regardless of the state of affairs. Due to this fact, I believe we are able to argue that though this isn’t the standard manner the most effective duos impression staff outcomes, the Jays have a singular methodology of constructing the staff higher. Nonetheless, why aren’t the performances peaking when each are on the courtroom? 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 courtroom, I’ve infinite recollections of their actions collectively. Nevertheless, when attempting to map them, I spotted that almost all of their highlights come from transition. Certainly, the Jays is perhaps the most effective duo at operating shortly to the opposite aspect and punishing an opponent’s turnovers. Each are glorious transition gamers and may usually make one another higher on a quick break. Nevertheless, most of a basketball sport is performed within the half-court, and that is the place the Jays may lack synergy.

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

Not too long ago, Mike Shearer wrote about the Celtics’ most prolific passing tandems. If you happen to have been anticipating to search out Jayson helping Jaylen, or vice versa, you received’t. Tatum assisted Brown solely 45 instances, rating 14th, whereas Brown assisted Tatum simply 31 instances. 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 basically problematic. However, you would take a extra constructive view and acknowledge the synergy they’ve with the remainder of the staff. Each Jayson and Jaylen have nice chemistry with Derrick White, Jrue Vacation, Kristaps Porzingis, and Horford. We will additionally see rising synergy with Sam Hauser for each of them. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless moments after we see them straight play off one another. Listed here 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 aspect of the courtroom, they’ve a much better synergy. Defensively, Jayson Tatum is perhaps the most effective assist defensive participant within the NBA. He’s fast, lengthy, and reads the sport rather well. His potential to at all times be properly positioned helps the Celtics protection tremendously. Whereas Jayson is one the most effective off-ball defensive gamers, Jaylen Brown has proven nice point-of-attack defensive expertise over the last playoffs. Due to this fact, 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 is perhaps the most effective staff within the league. The issue is extra about the remainder of the staff. Identical 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 likely one of the finest defensive forces.

The Jays may slot in at third. Booker and Durant are perhaps 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 might be an ideal argument to place the Lakers duo above the Jays, however LeBron received’t get any youthful. Nonetheless, their synergy is basically nice and they’re taking part in in far worse spacing than the Celtics.

Are they among the best duos, or a superb duo on an ideal staff? Once more, because the numbers bear out, the Celtics nonetheless carry out nice and even higher when one is off the courtroom. 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.