Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
On February 19, the Boston Celtics saw both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown compete in the 2023 All-Star game, with Tatum also debuting his new sneaker range and being named MVP.
It would appear that the St. Louis native’s performance impressed Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, who took to Twitter to praise Tatum’s performance and to credit him for a successful debut of his new sneaker line.
That’s how you debut the sig brotha! 👟
@jaytatum0
Tatum ended the All-Star game with a record 55 points to further build upon the solid season he’s been having for the Celtics, where he is currently averaging 30.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 46.4% shooting from the field, 35.7% shooting from deep, and 86.4% shooting from the charity stripe.
It’s that level of performance that has seen Tatum become a genuine MVP candidate this season and has helped the Celtics achieve a top spot in the Eastern Conference along with a top-5 ranked offense and defense.
Jaylen Brown Speaks on His Role With The Celtics
When speaking to the media on February 18, as part of the All-Star Media Day, Jaylen Brown shared his thoughts on playing a role for a contending team rather than being the go-to guy.
Jaylen Brown on his partnership with Jayson Tatum:
“The ultimate goal for me and Jayson has always been to win games.”
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“It takes sacrifice. You know, on my behalf, it’s definitely a lot of opportunities that you can be a guy, but the ultimate goal for me and Jayson has always been to win games. So, when you see team dynamics, there’s nothing wrong with doing your job on a team. Throughout my career, I’ve learned to be and play the role that’s been needed for me to play. And, I think that’s part of why the success has been able to happen. Being able to humble yourself…there’s no problem being a great team guy and winning here in Boston,” Brown said.
Brown is clearly capable of being a leading offensive player for a contending team, but it’s clear that he’s in a secondary role behind Tatum in Boston, which is what led to him answering that specific line of questioning.
Celtics Struggling to Add a Sixth Man
During an exclusive interview with WEEI’s The Greg Hill show, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck shed some light on why Boston has seemingly struggled to add a 15th man to their roster throughout the opening weeks of the buyout market.
“I’d be very surprised if we went into the playoffs with an open roster spot, don’t think that’s going to happen. There’s a question whether you sign people to 10-day contracts to check them out if they’re willing to accept a role where the team’s pretty deep, so there may not be a lot of minutes. People don’t necessarily want to sign for that. It might not be good for their career,” Grousbeck said.
The Celtics have already missed out on Terrence Ross, Danny Green, and Kevin Love – although we can only speculate as to whether there was any interest in these players from Boston’s side. However, it is clear that Brad Stevens will likely be looking to make one final addition in the coming weeks as to give the Celtics the depth they need to navigate a deep postseason run.