There was plenty of eagerness to see the new Boston Celtics. With Jaylen Brown’s departure now confirmed, the Massachusetts franchise underlined Jayson Tatum’s status as the undisputed leader, as he faces perhaps the most important season of his career. Well, he has crashed out right from the start.
Far from leading the Greens to victory, the All-Star forward suffered every one of the minutes he spent on court against the Detroit Pistons, finishing with just 13 points on a painful 6 of 23 from the field; that is, a long way from the role expected of him on a team that last night enjoyed a fantastic 31-point performance from Paul George.
Tatum should obviously improve as he finds his rhythm with the games, and it is also true that the Michigan side’s defence (and others) will have plenty to say about it, but his calling card was far from his best in a game they ended up losing 121-113 after being 22 points up.
Jayson Tatum and the season’s first collapse
One game has been enough to show that Boston is what it was: strong defence, flashes of brilliance and inexplicable lapses. Much is expected of this side, but there are no fewer doubts.
Early in the second half, Joe Mazzulla’s side had moved 22 points ahead. They were dominating on the Pistons’ court and it seemed the only task was not to derail, but they did so spectacularly, the especially painful part being the 23-0 run they conceded in the final quarter to go from 89-99 to 112-99…
While they were taking that blow in the closing minutes, what clearly didn’t work was Joe Mazzulla’s game plan. Once again we saw a string of threes and forced shots that do not reflect well on the Celtics’ coach; yes, the same man who led them to the title in 2024.
These Pistons are promising (again)
They won’t be the most eye-catching team, but when it comes to being effective, few will beat them. Having already shown the courage to climb out of the worst season (and streak) in history, the Pistons now face the challenge of establishing themselves as a force in the Eastern Conference; and of course, starting like this against Boston is a dream beginning.
Far from throwing in the towel when things were at their worst, Detroit gritted their teeth, dug in and set about pinning their rivals against the ropes on every possession. From that extra intensity came performances as striking as Duncan Robinson’s 21 points (five threes) and Javonte Green’s 19 off the bench. And no, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren didn’t miss the party either, with 22 each.
(Photo by IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)