Getty Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first quarter of game two of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.
For the better part of the past few months, unfortunate rumors have been circulating suggesting that All-Star Jaylen Brown may be unhappy with his current role with the Boston Celtics and, as a result, could be open to a change of scenery come year’s end.
With this, a follow-up inquiry fans may have could revolve around what his co-star, Jayson Tatum, may wish to do in the event that the two are ever split up. Fortunately, one Eastern Conference general manager recently informed Heavy Sports’ NBA insider Sean Deveney that even if Brown were to demand a trade, there should be little fear that such desires would rub off on Tatum.
“They have done nothing but make Jayson Tatum feel welcome there, make him feel like he is part of a line that goes back to Bill Russell, [John] Havlicek, Sam Jones, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, all the Celtics greats. As long as they are continuing to win, I don’t think you’re going to hear anything negative from Tatum about wanting to leave,” the executive said
JAYLEN BROWN WITH THE BLOCK AND JAYSON TATUM THROWS IT DOWN
Jayson Tatum has established himself as a legitimate superstar during his six-year tenure with the Celtics and finds himself coming off perhaps the best season of his career as he posted stellar averages of 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and just shy of a block per game while shooting 46.6% from the field and 35.0% from deep.
The good news is, regardless of what transpires this coming offseason, the east GM doesn’t seem like his on-court contributions will be departing from eastern Massachusetts any time soon.
Jaylen Brown ‘More Reliable’ Than Jayson Tatum For Celtics?
Though Jayson Tatum may be considered top dog within the Celtics’ pecking order, Stephen A. Smith believes Jaylen Brown has proven to be the “more reliable” star during the postseason these past two seasons.
On a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, the renowned analyst and media figure discussed how he believes there’s a lot of pressure on the 25-year-old during this year’s playoff run, and highlighted how, while he’s inarguably the best player on Boston, he hasn’t proven himself capable of rising to the occasion when it has mattered most.
“Jayson Tatum is the best player on the team [but] he is not the best player in the postseason over the last two years. That has been Jaylen Brown. Jaylen Brown has been a more reliable asset for the Boston Celtics than Jayson Tatum,” Stephen A. Smith said of Jayson Tatum in the postseason.
.@stephenasmith believes Jaylen Brown has been more reliable than Jayson Tatum in the playoffs 👀
“Jayson Tatum is the best player on the team, he is not the best player in the postseason over the last two years. … Jaylen Brown has been a more reliable asset for the Celtics.”
Stephen A. Smith would back up his argument by stating that the Celtics just recently beat the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of their semifinal matchup by a final score of 121-87 with Jayson Tatum only registering a lackluster 7 points.
Jaylen Brown, on the other hand, once again had a tremendous showing for Boston as he finished with 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals while shooting 52.9% from the field and 50.0% from deep.
Tobias Harris Praises Celtics for Game 2 Effort
The Boston Celtics managed to storm back with vengeance during Tuesday’s Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers and evened the series up at one game apiece.
While there were many factors that ultimately played into the Sixers’ demise, forward Tobias Harris seems to believe he knows the overarching reason for his club’s loss on the night.
“This is not the performance we wanted in Game 2,” Tobias Harris said during his post-game media session. “They came out and just took the victory from us early on in the game. They just came out with that fire and that grit to win.”
Overall, the Celtics managed to hold Philadelphia to just 39.2% shooting from the field and an even worse 20.0% shooting from deep.
Tobia Harris, however, seemed to be the lone bright spot for the Sixers on the night, as he finished with a solid stat line of 16 points and 7 rebounds on 58.3% shooting from the floor and 40.0% from deep.