Celtics wing-trio awkwardly trying to gel - the price of high-character


Is there such a thing as too good - too accommodating - too polite? My answer is an emphatic YES if the politeness and high-character of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward are hampering the development of the team as a whole.


Jaylen and Jayson helped carry the team to Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals last season,and neither can be considered a gunner a la Tommy Heinsohn in his heyday. Now comes Gordon Hayward, also extremely talented, but never known as a no-conscience shooter. All three of these guys have the talent to be on the All-Star team this season, but the overall star power of Boston will most likely mean that it doesn't happen.

The newcomer here is Gordon. Tatum is barely our of his rookie season. Both may be sensitive about even giving the slightest hint that they are taking over. Brown is in his third season, and is just starting to leave behind that hesitation we saw in his first year-and-a-half. My favorite definition of Ethics is: The most good - for the most people - over the longest period of time. Here are some thoughts from NBA Sports' A. Sherrod Blakely:

Part of the challenge for this group involves getting past the niceties of playing with guys they genuinely like and focus more on figuring out what they can do to become more efficient and effective on the floor.

“There’s a lot of talent on that first unit,” Brown said. “And nobody wants to step on each other’s toes but at the same time we’re not helping each other.”

Well said by both Blakely and Brown. That is maybe the only price for Danny Ainge bringing in talented players that also happen to be of high-character. These three gentlemen are desperately trying to gel while stifling their specific talents that could lead to a Championship. That price we see is the awkwardness of the players trying to work together.

Kevin Garnett was once labeled as too unselfish. Many felt he would too-often pass up scoring opportunities to get a teammate involved. Our present wing-trio is just that - unselfish to a fault. Being too nice to the detriment of the team. But we can't forget. The Big Ticket won a Championship by integrating his talents into the team concept without ever becoming a selfish gunner. The 3C's (Jaylen, Jayson, Gordon) can do likewise. I doubt we will hear complaints of toes being stepped on.

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

Photo via Maddie Meyer/Getty Images