NBA 2022/23, on Thursday, 17.11.2022
The game between the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics is one of the highlights of the week, rivaling the 2022 World Cup in terms of “entertainment value”. Trae Young vs Jayson Tatum will be the high-flyer duel at State Farm Arena tonight.
Both franchises are off to excellent starts in the new 2022/23 season, there’s no doubt about that. But in my Celtics Hawks tip, I point out why Tatum in particular will pick apart the home side’s lax defence.
What makes the C’s stand out right now is an outstanding Jayson Tatum, who I expect to play a major role in Boston’s offensive game tonight against the Hawks – especially since he is their undisputed superstar anyway.
Tatum has an average of 31.9 points per game and is characterised by an enormous accuracy. His 65.3% scoring rate is the fourth highest in the league for a player who averages over 30 points per game.
What I like most about “JT” this year is that he has developed tremendously as a player. From being a lone wolf, the C’s No. 0 has now transitioned to being the consummate team player.
Example anyone? Last year Tatum held the ball for an average of 4.7 minutes per game, but this year it’s only 4.4 minutes. As a result, the No. 0 separates from the ball earlier as soon as the opposing defence puts a second man guard on him.
At the same time, Tatum has also become much more successful because he harmonises better with his teammates.
In 58% of his converted baskets he got an assist from a teammate, which is the highest percentage in four years and a significant increase compared to last year (47%).
Atlanta has an outstanding offense, but could be in trouble if Tatum continues to read the game so well, getting off the ball at the right moment only to create a dangerous face-off station in the half court a few seconds later.
Meanwhile, a look at the schedule makes me very optimistic that the Celtics could defend – if not extend – their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference between now and Christmas.
The C’s have picked up their last five wins against teams that rank among the league’s worst 10 defenses.
But their upcoming five opponents – including the Hawks – aren’t among the NBA’s top-15 defenses, either, which is why I remain confident that Jayson Tatum will continue to work his way toward a 2022/23 MVP title.
During these days, many fans are storming the local betting shops to secure one of the best World Cup 2022 bonus offers, however, I am staying true to my line and focusing on the NBA.
Consequently, I’ve taken a look at the latest Hawks Celtics odds to get a general idea of what the bookies are expecting from this basketball cracker.
While I’m not going to offer a Hawks Celtics tip on the outcome of the game itself, it may still be of interest to readers to know that the bookies are slightly favouring the C’s with win odds of 1.86.
Personally, I’ll rather head to vetted bookmaker Bet365 – which incidentally excels at offering a wide range of NBA bets – to place a hand-picked player bet on Jayson Tatum.
Conclusion: This game may be one of the top 3 matchups since the season opener a few weeks ago.
And while I see the Celtics having a slight advantage, I’m even more anticipating Jayson Tatum to put together another stellar performance against a defense that is mediocre at best.
Tatum doesn’t hold the ball forever like he did last year, but separates early and instead usually goes where the opponent isn’t expecting him.
My Hawks Celtics tip: Jayson Tatum with over 30.5 points!
