How Tatum Picked Apart Miami's Defense for Game-High 10 Assists

Jayson Tatum tallied his first career playoff triple-double while leading Boston to a 114-94 win during Sunday’s Game 1 against Miami. He assisted on eight of the team’s first 12 points as they opened the game with a 12-0 (and eventually, a 14-0) run.

The path Tatum took toward notching his 10 assists was not a straight one. He generated open looks for the Celtics in a variety of ways as he navigated Miami’s complex defense. So let’s dig in and break down all the different ways the superstar wing set his teammates up for success throughout the contest.

Boston went to Tatum in the post on the very first possession of the game, which is typically a statement of how a team is going to approach a game. Tatum posts up on Caleb Martin and, as he makes his move, he draws not one, not two, but three defenders.

Tatum missed the dunk but grabbed his own rebound, and as a result of the attention he drew on his initial move, he had a pick-em opportunity of which teammate to pass to for an open 3-pointer. Among the options were Jaylen Brown on the left wing, Derrick White at the top of the arc, and Jrue Holiday on the right wing. He chose Brown, and Brown promptly drilled the triple for the first points of the game.

As Nikola Jokvic said after Game 1, “Last year was easier (to defend the Celtics) because they didn’t have (Kristaps) Porzingis.” Porzingis’ presence as a 7-foot-2 big man who can shoot has put Miami’s defense in a bind all season long, including Sunday afternoon.

That’s why Tatum made it a point to hit KP with entry passes as often as possible to let the big man go to work. He did so on the possession above when he saw Porzingis defended by 6-foot-5 Tyler Herro. When Tatum can find KP in that type of matchup, it’s almost an automatic bucket. It’s as simple as making the shot.

This time around, it’s Porzingis posting up, drawing a double-team, and kicking out to Tatum at the top of the arc. This sends Miami’s defense into scramble mode.

When Tatum catches this ball, he has two options: shoot it over the rotating defender (Martin), or pass to an even more open teammate (Jrue Holiday). Most superstars would take the open shot, but Tatum gives a “one more” pass to Holiday, who promptly drills the 3.

This is my favorite play of the day from Tatum. Just an absurd skip pass to Sam Hauser through heavy traffic – right on the money for a wide-open 3.

Look at the floor as Holiday completes his screen for Tatum. He’s basically trapped by Herro and Haywood Highsmith. No one is really “open” to pass to. But Tatum knows exactly what Al Horford is about to do, and that is cut to the basket, which will not only draw Adebayo out of position but will also leave open space for Hauser to lift to. Tatum sees it happening before it even happens, then throws a laser on the money to Hauser for an open triple.

Now let’s take a look at Tatum taking the ball off the dribble and making simple reads to skilled teammates for baskets. First, there’s this assist to Derrick White for an uncontested 3. Tatum is picked up by Adebayo in transition and immediately goes to work with a rip-through and blow-by to the basket. He beats Adebayo with his first dribble and draws in Jaime Jaquez Jr., who pulls in to provide some help defense.

This is as easy as it gets. Beat your man off the dribble, draw two defenders, and make the easy read for a pass to an open 40 percent 3-point shooter. Three points, all day.

Here’s another play off the dribble with a bit more nuance. Horford runs a pick-and-pop with Tatum in a deadly situation for Miami, as its two bigs are involved in the action. Rather than leaving the aging Kevin Love on an island to defend Tatum, Adebayo commits to trapping Tatum along with Love.

Tatum can already feel the trap developing here. So he just drags it out and drifts into space on the right wing. This is not done without intention; Tatum knows exactly where he’s going, and what it will lead to. Once he draws the full commit from Adebayo and Love and creates space and a passing lane to Horford, he whips a perfect pass back to the big man – yet another 40 percent 3-point shooter – for another open 3.

We already saw one example of Tatum passing a teammate open. The pass above to Hauser was not thrown to where Hauser was, but to where Hauser will be. Watch it again, closely.

Here’s another example of passing a teammate open. This is Tatum’s 10^th and final assist of the day. A lazy pass would have simply landed in White’s hands with White a few feet behind the 3-point line while giving his defender, Delon Wright, a smaller gap to close to challenge a shot. Look where White and his defender are when Tatum begins the passing motion.

Now look where White and his defender are when White catches the ball.

Tatum has shown throughout his career that he’s more than capable of beating opponents with his passing. That skill has been accentuated this season by the arrival of even more skill around him in Boston’s lineup. He averaged a career-high 4.9 assists per game this season, and with that in mind, we should all expect plenty of dimes from him this postseason as he picks apart defenses in a variety of ways.