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It’s about time the Celtics rely on their balance and not panic or attempt hero ball when certain players are struggling.
They were able to easily defeat the Dallas Mavericks, 114-93, on Friday at TD Garden on a night when Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier combined to go 9 for 30 from the field.
There seemed to be a collective chill among the Celtics, despite the absence of Kyrie Irving (eye) and Marcus Morris (neck). The Celtics didn’t try to do too much. What’s more, they moved the ball as well as they have all season, collecting 35 assists on 42 made field goals, which is impressive.
What the Celtics lacked in shooting percentage (43.8), they compensated for in 3-point shooting (21 for 45, 46.7 percent) and teamwork. Tatum was left open for 3-pointers and so he took them, which is fine.
But nothing was forced. The Celtics were patient and unselfish. They took their turns gashing the Dallas defense and the absence of Irving and Morris, who average a combined 29 shots per game, allowed players such as Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown to take more shots (they combined for 30) and play extended minutes.
Eventually, the Celtics will need all of their contributing players to make a difference if they are to make a serious run in the Eastern Conference title. Brown is averaging 17 points in his past five games and shooting 63 percent from the field.
It’s difficult to avoid making judgments when the season isn’t halfway through. Brown has struggled through the first 30-plus games, but he still has plenty of time to make up for his subpar start and turn into a major factor.
He’s been playing relaxed of late, like the Brown who helped the Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last spring. Brown’s been trying too hard, trying to make an impression with the emergence of Tatum and the return of Hayward. It’s been difficult for him to find his niche, but the truth is the opportunity always has been there.
Brown found out he was getting the start in place of Morris on Friday morning and he looked prepared and determined. He doesn’t have to score like Tatum or constantly dazzle with highlight dunks. Brown simply needs to make plays within the flow of the game because he is usually one of the most athletic players on the floor. Brown can make the game look so easy when he takes an easy-going approach.
“No difference, just shooting the ball, having some fun playing some basketball,” he said when asked the difference between now and two weeks ago. “We’ve got some talent in this locker room. That doesn’t mean nothing as far as we got to win games. We’ve struggled early but we got some really good players. We get out there, we get into a position where we have opportunity.”
While Hayward had his ankle injury as a legitimate excuse for his early skid, Brown’s issues were more of a mystery. He was supposed to tandem with Tatum for a dynamic scoring punch. Instead, he collected fouls at a disturbing rate, forced jumpers, and couldn’t finish.
“I don’t think it’s fair to peg the slow start on one player,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “And I think that certainly I’ve gotten a lot of questions about Jaylen, just because of everybody’s expectations for Jaylen are as high as his are. And at the end of the day, he’s not going to be perfect; he’s going to have his ups and downs, but he stays the course, he gets ready, and he’s . . . everybody’s going to go through those slumps, until you come out of them.
“He’s come out of his well, and has really strung together a good couple of weeks of basketball, and we’re going to need him to continue to be that for us.”
The injuries to Irving and Morris are expected to be short term, but their absences may allow players looking for a chance to get untracked to do so. That’s why team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge acquired so much depth and that’s why the Celtics are content with not making roster moves. They realize how important depth is and, eventually, Brown and Hayward will return to form.
“Ah, yeah, not quite, but I think slowly getting there,” Hayward said of his progress. “Confidence-wise, these last two games are going to be good for me. But, definitely, I think I’ve done some things, these last two games, that I did a lot when I was in Utah. So, that’s a good sign.”
Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.