NBA Play-In must-follow storylines: Wizards vs Celtics

Key NBA Play-In Matchup: Jayson Tatum vs Washington Defense

The Washington Wizards have a variety of offensive personnel. Russell Westbrook is still a bull with the ball in his hands, Bradley Beal averaged more than 30 points per game, and Davis Bertans is a sniper at the 4. Yet their roster is depleted of plus-defenders and specifically bereft once you move past the center position.

Jayson Tatum is not the player you want to face when you have a lack of quality perimeter defenders. The 23-year-old forward was the Celtics’ one bright spot this season, recovering from COVID-19 to take another step forward. He broke the 50-point mark twice this season and led the league in fourth-quarter scoring at 7.5 points per game.

The Wizards actually improved on defense this season, rising from 29th last year to 20th this season. That is primarily a factor of better play inside, with Robin Lopez and Daniel Gafford providing much better rim protection than Thomas Bryant and Mo Wagner.

Washington will likely try a few different options on Tatum. Beal will get some run on him, and he is not a trainwreck defensively even if it’s not his calling card. He has some strength to try and keep Tatum from getting to his spots. Rui Hachimura likewise has size and could see himself matched up on Tatum if the Celtics are small with Tatum at the 4. He has been the Wizards’ most consistent outside defender this season.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect option, and Tatum is likely to take advantage. He loves to use his strength to maneuver into the paint and pull up for a jumper or even get all the way to the rim. He has also continued to develop his step-back 3-pointer, which will be deadly against a drop-big such as Robin Lopez if he gets some daylight. Things will get tougher down the line for Tatum and the Celtics offense, but this first matchup is not daunting.