NBA Notebook: What's next for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum after a championship?

Across the entire season, compared to 2022-23, Tatum played 1.2 fewer minutes per game, scored 3.2 fewer points, saw his rebounding percentage drop slightly, while his assist rate increased and turnover rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points. His free throw attempt rate and two-point efficiency dropped compared to the previous season, while his regular season uptick in three-point shooting on only slightly fewer attempts drove his most efficient season ever (55.2 eFG%). The math worked for Tatum until the playoffs, where he fell to 42.7% from the field, 28.3% from three and a career-low 48.0 eFG% while compensating with 9.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and only committing 2.6 turnovers per game across 40 minutes. He also shot 7.2 free throw attempts.

The efficiency struggle for Tatum remains the difficulty of his shot attempts, which Boston mostly attempted to solve by keeping the ball moving and achieved by Game 5 of the Finals, where Dallas' aggressive defensive scheme against him led to his 31 points on 11-of-24 shooting and 11 assists. Tatum averaged 7.2 APG and 3.2 TOV, navigating a fall to 64.9% at the rim and 26.3% from three. In-between, Tatum couldn't create mid-rangers (0.4 makes, 22.2%) and 5.4 free throws per night is below his potential. The regular season saw Tatum shoot 5.4 attempts at the rim (71.1%), 3.2 from in-between (38.8%) and 8.2 three-point attempts (37.6%). 

Boston faces a difficult balance between utilizing Tatum's gravity to make the game easier for his teammates and trying to find ways to ease the burden on him to score. His ability to hit difficult shots, NBA types often say, is what makes the Celtics so difficult to play against. 

He improved efficiency-wise from all three spots on fewer attempts, though he logged more isolation possessions (4.7 to 6.2), he drove 2.1 fewer times per game and his three-point attempts against tight coverage (2.8) stayed in line with his 2023 total. Into the playoffs, his efficiency on those 2.5 difficult looks from deep fell to 10% while his open threes remained closer to 40%. His catch-and-shoot efficiency dipped from 43% during the regular season to 30% in the playoffs, another factor in his decline, while his pull-ups dropped from 34.9% to 27.4%.

That's the largest concern with Tatum following an 0-for-10 Olympic run from behind the line. If his three goes south, he's lived just below 40% on mid-rangers for much of his career and he'll need to ramp up his activity around the rim, which he did in the Finals (7.4 att.), leading to lower overall efficiency and spacing difficulties. When Tatum can produce quality threes, he's at his most efficient as a scorer as last regular season showed. Fortunately, his passing flashed in the Finals to a level that launched the Celtics to a championship. The most definitive difference in his game over two years ago. 

Tatum found Brown with 10.9 passes per game in the playoffs, up from 6.7 during the regular season and mounting to 12.0 in the east finals and 13.6 in the Finals. Long a stat I've noted for being relatively low between them compared to their star peers, the late stages of the playoffs saw Brown and Tatum as connected as ever, a credit to their combined passing strides. Brown's feeds to Tatum also vaulted from 4.3 to 6.5 to 8.8 across those stages. Brown decreased his turnovers from 2.9 per game to 2.4 from 2023 to 2024, only ticking up to 2.7 in the playoffs with increased minutes, a vital improvement he needs to maintain into 2024-25 that could allow Boston to invert its offense more, utilizing pressure Brown would draw on the ball similarly to Tatum to free the latter. 

With the ball in his hands, Brown improved to 35.1% as a pull-up three shooter in 2024 compared to 31.8% the prior year. As a catch-and-shoot threat, he went from 33.4% to 35.3% from deep. He also experienced his most efficient season from the field (55.7 eFG%) despite slight declines around the rim (66.6%), from mid-range (43.5%) and a bizarre decline at the free throw line (70.3%) that he needs to stabilize into 2024-25 before opponents more consistently take advantage of it. 

Brown decreased his time spent in isolation, increased his efficiency when he played one-on-one (0.97 points per possession) and led 6.0 transition possessions per game, tying De'Aaron Fox for the second-most in the NBA. The Celtics, in turn, became the league's third most efficient (1.19 PPP) attack on the break. Pace and quick decisions aided both, while Tatum thrived in the playoffs running pick-and-roll (1.16 PPP). Brown turned into more of a play finisher (1.19 PPP off screens). Their post-up games, which each exceeded 1.00 PPP during the regular season, declined considerably into the playoffs, an area both players could benefit from picking back up next year. Especially with the team's primary post-up option and offensive release valve in Porziņģis missing. 

It's a test for Brown and Tatum as they enter their late 20s. The Celtics will only rely on them more annually as their roster grows more expensive and they inevitably lose depth pieces. That'll require both players to expand their playmaking and scoring games, free from the demand of achieving their first championship, while neither player has sounded totally affirmed through their celebration. Both felt snubbed by the Olympic process. Some have criticized the team's path to a title. Fair or not, new challengers will emerge this year. 

Brown and Tatum became the team's tone-setters in 2024. They'll need to stay hungry to win in 2025.

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Signed Joey Hauser, the 25-year-old brother of Celtics champion Sam Hauser, to an Exhibit 10 contract. Joey spent his rookie season with the Clippers' G-League affiliate and averaged 7.1 PPG while shooting 44% from the field and 37% from three. He was undrafted out of Michigan St. last summer after transferring from Marquette in 2019. His final college season saw him average 14.3 PPG and 7.0 RPG while shooting 46.5% from deep. 

Boston: Conflicting reports emerged this week about billionaire Amazon found Jeff Bezos' interest in purchasing the Celtics, which he would make look easy as one of the world's richest men. Bill Simmons said he heard Bezos could enter the mix while The Information cited a source close to Bezos saying that there's zero truth to Simmons' report. Tony Massarotti poured cold water on a NYPost report that Red Sox owner John Henry's Fenway Sports Group could buy the Celtics, which leaves Boston's co-owner Steph Pagliuca as the only confirmed person interested in becoming the Celtics' new majority owner. Simmons said the NBA wants Boston to sell for $6 billion to set the fee for Seattle, Las Vegas and Mexico City expansion franchises. 

Jaylen Brown, who unveiled another social program in Oakland and said Jayson Tatum will be ok after his Team USA benching, released a song with New York rapper ASAP Ferg on Friday. The title Just Do It and its video referenced Brown's ongoing feud with Nike. Killian Tillie, who played Summer League with the Celtics, will return to basketball for the first time since 2022 with Malaga Basketball Club in Spain. 

Brooklyn: Steve Nash reflected on his failed coaching stint with the Nets between 2020-23, saying he didn't want to become an NBA head coach before the Brooklyn opportunity emerged following Kenny Atkinson's firing. Having worked with Kevin Durant in Golden State and with many thinking he could connect with fellow guard great Kyrie Irving, Nash also received support from GM Sean Marks. He saw success in year one, reaching the second round before a string of injuries cost them a seven-game series against the Bucks. Then, in 2022, the Nets largely underperformed before falling to the Celtics in a round one sweep. Nash survived that before the team fired him seven games into 2022-23. He met with the Raptors about their vacancy in 2023. 

"A lot of it is managing personalities between front offices, players and agents," Nash said. "That's a huge component of my job. All the dynamics, personalities, and power that the players hold nowadays. I was surprised when I coached, you're not in the team that much. You have five minutes with players before the game, at halftime, and after the game. Those are the only times when you address the team. I wanted to connect with every player individually." 

Chicago: Lonzo Ball told TMZ his recovery is going well and fans should expect him back on the floor this season. Ball played five-on-five with Jaren Jackson Jr., Daniel Gafford and other NBA players in LA this week. It remains unclear whether Ball is on track to play on opening night. 

Cleveland: Nick Mileti, who helped create the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1970, died at 93 this week. He also purchased the then-Cleveland Indians in 1972 and brought a World Hockey Association franchise to the city. Mileti sold his stake in the Cavaliers in 1980, but was later honored following their first championship in 2016. 

Dallas: Jason Kidd spoke in Oakland while introducing the XChange social program alongside Jaylen Brown, reflecting on how Kyrie Irving led the team's effort to recruit Klay Thompson and his infamous comments during the Finals about Brown being the Celtics' best player. Kidd said he didn't intend to cause any disruption on the Boston side when he made the comments following the Celtics' Game 1 win in the Finals. He quipped that Jrue Holiday agreed, Holiday later walking back his reaction to Kidd's comments, and that he was commenting on how Brown was playing at the time. Kidd was also inducted into the Oakland Sports Hall of Fame this month. 

"He was playing the best I think at the time. Some took it as I was trying to start something. But he had just won the Eastern Conference MVP, and then he ended up winning MVP of the Finals, so I don't know if I was wrong," Kidd said. 

Denver: Nuggets president Josh Kroenke noted that Jamal Murray wasn't 100% during the playoffs and into his play this summer with Team Canada at the Olympics, where he struggled immensely coming off the bench. Murray dealt with an ankle injury, among other ailments, which the Nuggets will weigh alongside his overarching production for the team that included him being the team's second-best player during their 2023 championship run. Murray had hoped to come to terms on an extension following the Olympics. He's entering the final year of his contract and could earn up to four years, $208.5 million in an extension.

“The amount of games that he’s played — the amount of games that all of our guys have played — and the wear and tear on their bodies," Kroenke said. "I think that showed up toward the end of the regular season. It definitely trickled into the playoffs. And Jamal was also pretty banged up. I think that’s something that gets underestimated because of how tough he is as a person. He was playing through some dings, some pretty good dings, that probably would keep most people out of games.”

Denver will receive a disabled player exception ($1.5M) for rookie DaRon Holmes II's Achilles injury, signaling he's out for the year. Nikola Jokić and other current and former NBA stars will take part in Goran Dragic's farewell game in Slovenia on Saturday. 

Golden State: Al Attles died at 87 this week following a life spent as a Warriors player, coach, general manager and ambassador, leading the team to its 1975 championship from the sideline. He spent more than six decades with the organization from 1960 on as a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Warriors before their move. He played 11 seasons for the team and had his No. 16 uniform retired, shooting 8-for-8 in the 1962 game where Wilt Chamberlain set the single game scoring standard with 100 points. Attles, one of the NBA's first Black head coaches, led them from 1970-1983. His 557 wins are the most by a Warriors coach. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Lakers: Jeanie Buss spoke for the first time about her team's decision to hire JJ Redick as head coach, saying the Lakers wanted a different perspective and someone willing to develop young players on the sideline. She stressed Redick will need time to establish himself and noted he'll have Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks on his staff to help him. At LA's facility, 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 work have already broken out during the period where less competitive workouts take place before mandatory arrivals begin. Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis are among those participating. 

Memphis: Ja Morant and Zach Edey worked out together in an encouraging video following Edey's Summer League ankle injury. Desmond Bane and other Memphis players plan to reunite for player workouts leading up to the team's training camp in Nashville. While Morant will begin the 2024-25 season recovered from shoulder surgery and without the suspension looming that began last year, the lawsuit against him over an alleged assault at a pickup basketball game is expected to stretch into 2025. The next court appearance is on Nov. 22. 

Miami: Kevin Love's presence on the Heat roster creates a hurdle for Kel'el Ware, Ira Winderman believes, as the veteran forward likely returned to Miami with some assurance that he'd play this year. Ware, a 20-year-old rookie center from Indiana, emerged as one of the best players at Summer League after Miami selected him in the first round. Winderman noted that the Heat took a patient approach with Nikola Jovic, another young draft pick. 

New Orleans: Waived former Celtic Matt Ryan, who played 28 games and shot 45.1% from three last season with the Pelicans. The move allows New Orleans roster flexibility while signing Javonte Green, another former Celtic, who spent most of last year with the Warriors' G-League affiliate before the Bulls brought him back late in the season. He averaged 12.2 PPG and shot 60% over nine games in Chicago (37% 3PT). New Orleans will hold a mini-camp prior to training camp, which the entire team is expected to attend aside from Daniel Theis, who played for Germany at the Olympics this month. Theis and rookie Yves Missi are the most likely candidates to start at center for the Pelicans, who also added Trey Jemison on a two-way after a strong showing with Memphis last year.  

New York: Julius Randle and the Knicks have not prioritized extension talks entering what could potentially be his final season under contract with the team ahead of his $30.9 million player option for 2025-26. Randle is eligible for a four-year, $181.5 million addition that would begin next year, but that would preclude him from being traded this season. He remains extension-eligible until June 30 next year prior to his option deadline. Fred Katz noted there's little Randle trade interest league-wide, though the team doesn't want to deal him at this time. 

Oklahoma City: Chet Holmgren reacted to a busy Thunder offseason where the team signed Isaiah Hartenstein to the position he plays, added Alex Caruso and traded Josh Giddey, an important piece of the team's rise in recent seasons. Holmgren said Hartenstein will allow the Thunder to play multiple styles after sticking to a defined one with Holmgren at center last year. He added that the Giddey trade hurt in the locker room. 

"We all rock with him. That's our dog. Still is. He's gonna go do great things in Chicago," Holmgren said. 

The NBA and Bally Sports reached an agreement to maintain the Thunder's local broadcast as well as 12 other teams following the network's bankruptcy.

Philadelphia: Signed Guerschon Yabusele, the former Celtics No. 16 overall pick, marking his return to the NBA after Boston waived him prior to the 2019-20 season. Yabusele, 29 this season, averaged 9.7 PPG and shot 53.1% from the field with Real Madrid last year, shooting 44.5% from three. He continued that run with France, helping Victor Wembanyama lead the team to silver while finishing 51.9% from the field and dunking on LeBron James, though his three point percentage fell to 28.6%. Yabusele and Real Madrid are reportedly working on a deal to get him out of his contract. Jake Fischer said that by the end of the Olympics, some NBA evaluators said they'd rather have Yabusele than Grant Williams. Yabusele signed for $2.1 million. 

Phoenix: Waived EJ Liddell and Nassir Little, the latter stretched with $22 million remaining on his contract, to create roster flexibility and allow more playing time for rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, according to Shams Charania. Waiving Liddell, who arrived in the recent David Roddy trade with the Hawks, saved the team $5 million in luxury tax. The team will receive a $3.1 million cap hit annually through 2031 for Little, who arrived in the Deandre Ayton trade with Portland last summer. Little, 24 this year, averaged 3.4 PPG on 46% shooting in 45 appearances last season. The Suns now have 14 players under contract and one open roster spot. Their tax bill for them will be approximately $197.3 million, the most expensive NBA team ever. 

Sacramento: The Kings will host free agents Tony Bradley, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Lonnie Walker IV and Isaiah Thomas for workouts this week as Thomas tries to return for his 13th NBA season following a six-game stint with the Suns late last year. Sacramento originally picked Thomas No. 60 overall in 2011 out of Washington before he played three seasons with the team. He'll turn 36 this season. The Kings have 14 players signed to standard deals. 

Utah: Have discussed Walker Kessler trades, including in stalled talks with the Knicks, following a disappointing second season for the once-heralded center prospect. Eric Pincus constructed a trade that would send Kessler to the Pelicans, addressing New Orleans' center depth, while acquiring a star in Brandon Ingram that the Jazz have long sought. The deal would also offload John Collins' massive contract to the rebuilding Nets with a pick. Kessler averaged 8.1 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 64 games, both marks lower than in 2022-23, when he finished third in rookie of the year voting. His efficiency fell from 72% to 65.4%.