“Coming Off the Bench”: Despite Dropping 34 Against the Knicks, Jayson Tatum Willing to Take Backseat, Fulfilling Teammate’s Wish

The Boston Celtics had an intense beginning to their campaign. They defeated a dogged Knicks 108-104. Surviving a late push, we saw the usual hustle and heart from the Greens late in the game. The biggest takeaway was the new arrival Kristaps Porzingis stacking up 30 points. He proved that the Marcus Smart deal may make sense. Above all, this win paved the way for some rib-tickling atmosphere in the Celtics locker room. The vibes were seen in the post-game mood, too.

Jayson Tatum had every reason to be in lofty spirits as he led all scorers with 34 points. In that wake, he makes some surprising comments.

Jayson Tatum reveals a peculiar lineup change for a game

The Celtics’ players had a top-six players-only meeting to discuss the projected starting lineup. During the discussion, Celtics reporter Brian Robb revealed that Derrick White quipped that Tatum should come off the bench.

On his X account, the high-scoring forward indicated that the desire may materialize, but just for a single game.

On a serious note, the Celtics starting lineup looks like a defensive nightmare. The team opted to keep Al Horford on the bench and went for a more shifty lineup. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were the starting two guards. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum acted as two forwards. Porzingis played the Center position. This meant that Al Horford was likely to have an extended bench role after being a designated starter for multiple years.

The logic behind the current combination is to have more speed on the defensive end. On the offensive end, Brown, Tatum, and Porzingis are there to handle the load. Holiday is likely to be much better than the game against the Knicks where he had just nine points and only two assists.

The Celtics expect the 2021 champion to be an enforcer on either end after Smart’s departure. White did well at 12 points but it was Tatum-Porzingis’s show. However, there are still depth concerns on the bench.

Are the Celtics short on their bench?

The depth is surely a concern. While White and Holiday make for a strong pairing in the backcourt, there has been a huge shift. Last season, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown were in the backcourt and White came off the bench. In this game the team had huge guard flexibility. But for that to work, Horford was starting. While Horford provides immense frontline depth, the Guard and Forward positions both look fragile. 

READ MORE: “Cut Me Some Slack”: Jayson Tatum Under Fire for Carelessness

Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard make for a decent combination but the team seems to be short on injury insurance. Did the Green Machine fail to make decisive decisions to embolden the bench? But with the way their top six players are placed, they are unstoppable on both ends.

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