The Boston Celtics are finishing the second half of training camp at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. The roster looks nothing like the one that raised Banner 18 two years ago. Paul George, Mike Conley, and Mitchell Robinson have arrived. Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis are gone.
The preseason opener in Cleveland is Thursday. Before that, the new group is still learning how to play together, building chemistry through drills and workouts in an environment Joe Mazzulla specifically designed to accelerate bonding.
Through it all, one player has taken charge of the process in ways his teammates are noticing.
Conley Describes What He Is Seeing From Tatum
Celtics offseason addition Mike Conley offered a revealing assessment of how Jayson Tatum has approached camp, and his words painted a picture of a player operating at a different level of ownership.
“He’s setting up all kinds of things off the court, he’s bringing in huddles after practices and every workout we have he has something to say, calling guys out and just really taking ownership of the situation. So I think that’s big.”
For a 38-year-old who has played alongside some of the best leaders in the league, the observation carries weight. Conley is not someone who hands out that kind of praise casually.
Tatum Took the Initiative Before Camp Started
The leadership push started months before Charleston. Tatum organized workouts in Los Angeles over the summer, inviting new Celtics additions and rookies to train together.
He wanted to build relationships outside of the practice facility. That meant time on the court and on the golf course, getting to know each other outside of the practice facility. It was a deliberate decision to bring the new group closer before the grind of the regular season began.
Tatum also spoke about where he stands physically and mentally heading into Year 10 for the Celtics. He acknowledged that when he returned from his Achilles injury last March, his conditioning and mentality were not where he wanted them to be. He estimated he was operating at roughly 80 percent but said getting back on the court was valuable in itself.
Now, after a full summer of preparation, he feels “so much more confident from a mental standpoint and physically” than he did during the comeback.
Final Word for the Celtics
Tatum has won a championship. He has come back from a torn Achilles. He has watched the Celtics core around him change almost entirely over the span of two offseasons.
What Conley is describing is the next step. Not just the best player on the roster, but the voice that holds everyone accountable and builds the culture from the ground up.
Year 10 looks different for Tatum.
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