Boston Celtics: 5 keys to series vs. Indiana Pacers

2. Let the Jays loose

Last postseason, Jayson Tatum rose to almost legendary status after landing one monstrous dunk right on LeBron James. While Jayson Tatum gets the bulk of the love, which is completely understandable due to his phenomenal play and the previously mentioned dunk, Jaylen Brown played just as good, if not better than Tatum.

In the small sample size that is his first two seasons in the NBA, Brown has shown that he can elevate his game to new levels in the postseason. Last season, his points per game jumped from 14.5 in the regular season up to 18.0 in the playoffs.

Likewise, Jayson Tatum has shown that he has the ability to step up in the postseason when the Celtics needed him most. His point per game total jumped from 13.9 all the way to 18.5, good for most per game for the Celtics in the playoffs. It’s not much to work with, but leading your team to the Eastern Conference finals is a good indicator that a young player can reliable in the postseason.

In order to reach the team’s full potential, the Celtics need to loosen the leash on both Tatum and Brown and let them see what they are made of this series. If they respond similarly to how they did in their previous postseasons, then the Celtics will be a very difficult to overcome for Indy.