The world is suffering from unsolvable issues: the Goldbach conjecture, the Riemann speculation, the hen or the egg, how wi-fi chargers work. The Celtics too have had an unsolvable downside, not less than, till now. Possibly.

The issue pertains to Jayson Tatum, but it surely additionally has nothing to do with him. The Celtics want to resolve learn how to play above common basketball when Jayson Tatum sits on the bench. With the addition of Kristaps Porzingis, the Cs may lastly have an answer.

This situation has plagued them for a really very long time. It dates again to the 2019-2020 season the place the Celtics had a Massive 4 (of kinds) that includes Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, and Gordon Hayward. Even that disbursement of expertise and wage wasn’t enough to resolve this situation. The Cs’ web ranking when Brown, Walker, and Hayward shared the ground whereas Tatum sat? A not good -2.32. Extra usually, the Celtics had been +10.24 with Tatum on the court docket and -0.5 with him off.

How about in 2020-21, the season that shall not be named? Effectively, even in that dreadful, COVID destroyed season, the Celtics outscored opponents by 3.2 factors per 100 possessions when Tatum performed. And when he sat, they had been outscored by 2.0 factors per 100.

2021-22 is much more drastic — +11.8(!) with Tatum on the court docket and -2.6 when he was off. This previous season was presupposed to be the 12 months that mounted it with Jaylen Brown at an All-NBA stage, Malcolm Brogdon operating the bench offense, and Derrick White taking pictures 40% from 3. Certainly, we’re not less than not horrible when Tatum sits proper? RIGHT?

Photograph by Maddie Meyer/Getty Pictures

Truly, sure, not less than within the common season. For the primary time since Kyrie Irving was on the group, the Celtics had a constructive web ranking when Jayson Tatum was on the bench. The Cs had been +2.5 when Tatum sat this season, truly fairly good.

The first purpose the Cs had been constructive was as a result of the protection performed at a charge that might successfully tie the #1 protection within the league, the Cavs, in defensive ranking at 110.0 (it improved about 3 factors per 100 possessions with Tatum off the ground). With the removing of Marcus Sensible, it is attainable this quantity might regress, however let’s assume it doesn’t. Issues get grim with out Tatum on the offensive facet of the ball although. The ORTG dropped from 121.1 to 112.4, which might be good for twenty sixth within the league this season.

All was nicely within the common season. Then, the playoffs hit. The Celtics had a constructive web ranking when any participant on the group sat within the playoffs, besides one: Jayson Tatum. With Tatum off the ground within the playoffs, they had been a -3.2. Each group will get worse when its star sits, however the Celtics are presupposed to be deep. What’s the purpose of investing in depth if it doesn’t bear fruit within the playoffs? In these 166 minutes Jayson Tatum wasn’t on the ground, the Celtics had an analogous web ranking to the Indiana Pacers. Playoff video games are gained on the margins, the six to eight minutes Tatum sits can swing a sport. That issues once you’re as shut because the Celtics are.

Enter Kristaps Porzingis.

The offense with out Tatum within the common season and playoffs was a catastrophe. The easiest way to repair that? Straightforward offense. Porzingis is a 7’3” strolling Staples Straightforward Button for offensive manufacturing.

The choose and pop is likely one of the foremost variations of simple offense. If you end up operating it with a guard that may get himself to the rim comfy, like Jaylen Brown, it ought to open up threes for the massive popping. Porzingis was a grasp at it in Washington.

The handoff sport is one other method groups with bigs which are comfy with the ball exploit their gravity. As Al Horford’s aged and has misplaced his capability to assault, his effectiveness in handoff actions has waned. Rob Williams reveals flashes, however he’s nonetheless too uncooked with the deal with to make work often. That isn’t the case for KP, who can assault out of a handoff in nearly any method you possibly can think about. He can preserve it and drive; preserve it and shoot; flip it again, set a display screen and pop; lay it off and roll laborious. These are all actions he can run with out an elite playmaker and with two guards that lean on their scoring capability for effectiveness. It ought to work superbly with Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon.

Maybe most significantly, KP shot a career-high 46.5% from 10-19 ft final season. Whereas that’s an inefficient shot in a vacuum, it’s a essential one within the playoffs, particularly in opposition to the Celtics’ worst enemy: Miami’s zone. KP did his job in opposition to Miami’s zone within the common season, and I see no purpose he couldn’t do it within the playoffs.

The Celtics have an issue they should remedy in the event that they need to elevate Banner 18, and it’s one many groups by no means fairly determine. Shedding Marcus Sensible hurts, actually, actually dangerous, however Brad Stevens could have introduced in a man that may lastly bolster the Cs when Jayson Tatum sits. Let’s all hope that’s sufficient.