Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Pre-season or not, watching your team’s star player get ejected from a game is a serious gut punch, and that’s exactly what happened to the Boston Celtics in their October 14 game against the Toronto Raptors.
Luckily, pre-season games don’t count towards anything other than improving your team’s fitness levels, but seeing Jayson Tatum leave the game early was certainly something fans weren’t expecting, and probably swung the game in Toronto’s favor.
Jayson Tatum’s reaction to getting ejected on Friday
“That was the first time I’ve been thrown out of any sporting event. The part that I was bothered by was that it was a pre-season game in Montreal and they don’t have an NBA team. There were a lot of Celtics jerseys, and a lot of guys that had number 0 on, they came to see me play and you don’t know the next time they will have that opportunity – that was the most unfortunate part. It was pre-season though, so I didn’t get fined any money…I learned my lesson,” Tatum said on his ejection.
Before his ejection, Tatum was having his best performance of the pre-season, sinking his threes and penetrating the Raptors’ defense at will. In 29 minutes of gameplay, the St. Louis native dropped 21 points, pulled down nine rebounds, and dished out six assists on 40% shooting from the field – had he remained in the rotation for the remainder of the game, there’s a very real chance the All-Star wing would have been flirting with a triple-double.
Tatum Encouraged by Boston’s Training Camp
Heading into training camp, the Celtics were still reeling from the sudden suspension of head coach Ime Udoka, who is reported to have violated organizational policy. With Joe Mazzulla taking the reigns as interim head coach, Danilo Gallinari – one of Boston’s marquee off-season additions – suffering an ACL injury, and the loss of Will Hardy from the coaching staff, Celtics fans had every reason to be a little concerned.
However, when speaking to the media following an October 17 practice session, Tatum noted how excited he was for the new season, while also taking a moment to heap praise onto his team and their style of play.
“We had a really successful training camp. … I loved the way we played, I loved the way we practiced. I think everybody’s jelling well together,” Tatum said.
Boston split their pre-season schedule 2-2 but impressed with an up-tempo offense and a slightly revamped defense that saw their big men playing up-to-touch rather than switching out onto the perimeter, allowing the Celtics to contain opponents’ pick-and-roll plays consistently.
Joe Mazzulla Wants to Focus on Offense
Last season, Boston hung their hats on their defensive ability, and quickly became a powerhouse in the NBA because of it, however, Mazzulla believes that now is the time for the Celtics to tap into their ridiculous offensive power.
Speaking to the media on October 16, Mazzulla stated that while defense has to remain a priority, he would like to see Boston lean into their offensive potential a little more in the upcoming season.
Joe Mazzulla on going small this preseason: “Last year we thought defense first … now I think, with our skill, we can think offensively.”
“I think last year we thought defense first, and obviously you have to do that. But now, with our skill, we can kind of think offensively as well. So, just a bit more balance and what gives our team the best opportunity to win,” Mazzulla said.
If Boston can find a new gear on offense, without sacrificing too much of their defensive identity, Mazzulla could see his team scale new heights, which could potentially lead them back to the NBA Finals next season and potentially raising the Larry O’Brien trophy.