Getty Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are among the best teams in the NBA but continue to fall short in their quest for an NBA championship.
This summer, Brad Stevens shuffled the deck, trading Marcus Smart and Grant Williams away while acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Oshae Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Dalano Banton have also joined the Celtics, while Jordan Walsh was the lone draft-night addition.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, the losses of Smart and Williams will have a big effect on Boston’s identity. Under Stevens and the Ime Udoka, the Celtics were a defense-first team. Under Joe Mazzulla, the focus has shifted onto offense, and that’s what Mannix believes could hurt Boston.
Jayson Tatum Has Faith in Boston’s Core
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the two-star players tasked with bringing a championship to Boston. For all of their struggle, the two young wings have been knocking on the door of success for the past few years.
In a recent interview with Jeff Goodman 0f The Messenger, Tatum revealed his belief that he and Brown will eventually take the final step to become NBA champions and, thus, enter Celtics folk law.
“Yes, it took some time to figure out how we can be as special as we can be and how we can co-exist and do it together. I know everybody says, ‘They take turns.’ I feel like we got to a place where we were feeding off each other, playing really well,” Tatum told Goodman. “…We talk about it all the time. We are due to get over the hump. And it’s going to be well worth it when we do.”
Eastern Conference GM Praises Jaylen Brown
Earlier this summer, Jaylen Brown inked a five-year supermax contract worth $288.2 million. According to an Eastern Conference GM, who spoke with Heavy on Sports Steve Bulpett under the condition of anonymity, Brown’s contract makes sense for the Celtics.
“If Boston didn’t have the kind of team that could win now, you might have to think twice about what you offer a Jaylen Brown,” The GM said. “But from everything we’ve seen about him and know, he’s not the kind of person you have to worry about. It looks like he’s invested in the team and not just his stats. That’s more important than people realize when it comes to how a guy’s new contract sits with the rest of the guys in the room.”