The Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to four games on Monday night as they took down the Atlanta Hawks, 123-115.
The trio of Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Jaylen Brown impressed yet again as they contributed 28, 24, and 21 points respectively.
Here are three instant overreactions from the C's win, which brings them to 34-15 on the season:
1. The Celtics proved they don't need to trade for Clint Capela, or another big man, before the trade deadline.
Verdict: Slight overreaction
A report surfaced earlier Monday stating the Celtics engaged with the Houston Rockets in trade talks involving big man Clint Capela. The C's responded with an impressive performance that shows such a deal before the Feb. 6 trade deadline may not be necessary.
In his return from injury, Enes Kanter picked up where he left off with eight points and nine rebounds in only 16 minutes. Daniel Theis left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury, but rookie Grant Williams stepped up big time to provide the much-needed frontcourt presence Boston needed down the stretch.
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The Celtics also outrebounded the Hawks 45-32.
Still, if Theis is forced to miss a few games, the Celtics' vulnerability at the center position will be evident. The German big man has been vital to this team's success. If he and/or Kanter goes down for an extended period of time, Boston may end up wishing it made a move to acquire Capela or another big man while they had the chance.
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2. Grant Williams is one of the NBA's most underrated rookies.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Williams just continues to get better and better as the season goes on. The 21-year-old's defense has been a revelation lately. and his offensive game has improved significantly.
On Monday night, he was the most important player not named Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown or Gordon Hayward. Williams stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
He also did this:
Williams is undoubtedly one of the league's most underrated rookies, and he's becoming a key contributor off the Celtics bench.
3. Trae Young is a future MVP.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Young came out red-hot in this game with 23 points in the first half. He'd cool down and finish with 34, but once again the All-Star showed he's already one of the most prolific scorers in the league. He also finished with seven assists, which actually is lower than his average of 9.0 on the season.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft has some kinks to work out in his game (nine turnovers on Monday, for example), but his offensive prowess at just 21 years old indicates he has an extremely bright future ahead.
At this rate, it isn't a stretch to say an MVP award will be a part of that future.
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