One of the greatest advantages the Boston Celtics possess is strength of roster and, more specifically, the strength of their starting lineup. Celtics star Jayson Tatum is the clear-cut number-one option and best player Boston boasts. Jaylen Brown is right behind him; however, if you want to title him as 1B to Tatum’s 1A, it’s hard to argue against that. Brown is more than capable of carrying the C’s when Tatum is out of the lineup, and that’s the kicker of it all. Boston’s starting five are so good. When one of them sits or is sidelined for whatever reason, the remaining four starters are all top-tier players, and it doesn’t hinder the team. It all starts with Tatum, though. It’s almost impossible to stop him. Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez knows this all too well. He spoke about Tatum’s impact leading up to a back-to-back series Brooklyn had with Boston earlier this week.
Nets HC Jordi Fernandez Praises Celtics Star Undefined Talent
Boston Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Leaves Brooklyn Nets Head Coach with No Answers; ‘He’s Too Good’
Fernandez came out on the losing end of the back-to-back, with his Nets dropping both games 115-113 and 104-96. Interestingly enough, the second more considerable loss came when Boston sat both Tatum and Brown. The Celtics won handily with Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White remaining in the starting lineup. Before the tip-off of game one, Fernandez was posed with the question of how to guard and defend a player like Tatum. To his credit, Fernandez answered with the best response, which is often the best way to answer a question: “I don’t know.”
“I don’t know how to guard him. He’s too good. I just try to live with things. If one thing works, then try to stay with it, try to have a feel for it,” Fernandez explained. “Our guys do a good job to try to do whatever the adjustment, whatever the defense is at the time to do it together. It’s not just one guy guarding, and I think that’s extremely important.”
Few players in the league are virtually impossible to guard, no matter what defensive schemes, designs, analytics, or coverages you throw at them. Luka Dončić is a perfect example of this. Sometimes, the best way to do things is to defend collectively. It’s what Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick attempted in the Lakers win over the Denver Nuggets earlier in the month. Redick doesn’t have someone who can guard Nikola Jokić straight up, so he planned to swarm Jokić with two, sometimes three, defenders, and it worked. Fernandez seems to have the same thinking pattern. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work, and he knows that players like Tatum can be an exception.
A Roster Unmatched
What makes Boston so deadly is they have top-tier skill at each starting position. Tatum, Brown, Holiday, Porziņģis, and White are unquestionably the league’s top starting lineup. Their bench depth is also one of the best groups in the league. Take one starter out for rest or injury, and veteran Al Horford or Payton Pritchard slide in. In any case, the Celtics are still likely to come out on top. Coming up with a game plan for Boston must be one of the more challenging jobs in the league a coaching staff can take on. It all starts with Tatum—the head of the snake, and he’s just too good.
© David Butler II-Imagn Images
The post Nets’ Jordi Fernandez Praises Celtics Star’s Undefined Talent appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.