Getty Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Heading into game five of the NBA Finals, all eyes are on the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.
With the series tied at 2-2, the Finals now come down to a best-of-three contest, with both teams capable of winning a championship. However, to begin the season, nobody envisioned the Celtics getting this far. Boston was coming into the season off the back of a first-round exit in 2021, with a rookie head coach, and some significant turnover among the playing staff.
The opening months of the season went how most people expected. The Celtics were inconsistent, struggled to hold onto leads, and were showing all the signs of a young team trying to figure things out. Then, at the turn of the year, something clicked, and the Celtics never looked back.
Speaking to Brian Scalabrine on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Marcus Smart shared his thought’s on the Celtics’ rapid rise towards the upper echelons of the NBA, citing the improved mindset of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the key factor.
“The selflessness they matured to having.”
@celtics Point Guard Marcus Smart (@smart_MS3) tells @Scalabrine what changed for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown this season #CelticPride #NBAFinals
“I’ll probably have to say I think everyone will agree with it, is the selflessness that they matured to having. You know, early on, as young guys, it’s not just them, it’s any young guys, you’re trying to make a name for yourself, you’re trying to prove what you got, and that doesn’t always lineup to what the team is trying to do or helping a team. For us, you know, it was understanding that if we win, everybody wins. And I think, this year, in particular more than note, we understood that we matured in that aspect,” Smart said.
Smart Credit’s Udoka’s Leadership
Ime Udoka also has his fingerprints on Boston’s improvements this year, as under his tutelage the Celtics have become the best defensive team in the league, and seen developmental leaps across the board.
Tatum has become an exceptional playmaker, Brown is living up to his two-way potential, Smart is proving himself as a genuine point guard, and Robert Williams is one of the most impactful players in the league – the list goes on.
In a recent interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin, Smart noted how Udoka’s no-nonsense style of leadership has led to a renewed state of accountability within the locker room.
“He’s said some things before and you look at him like ‘Dang he really said that'” 😂
@tvabby discussed some of Ime Udoka’s blunt methods with Marcus Smart
“He’s said some things to us before, and you look at him like ‘dang, he really just said that. We gotta get ourselves together.’ It’s kinda funny, not at the time, but when you think about it, you’re like ‘he really told us that’…You take it, you embrace it when you’ve got a coach that’s willing to hold you accountable. Not just you, but the whole team, in the same way, that’s how you know you’re in the making of a great coach that’s trying to get somewhere special,” Smart told Chin.
Tatum Credits Udoka for Personal Development
Since entering the league, it’s been clear that Tatum was capable of becoming a superstar, but playing for the Celtics means you often forgo the patience required to achieve your potential. The fanbase is rabid, and success has come to be expected.
However, throughout this current season, we’ve seen Tatum take a leap in his basketball ability, specifically when orchestrating the offense and playmaking for others. The St. Louis native has become more than a scorer and is now a genuine two-way threat that can control the glass, create for himself or his teammates, and lead a team in scoring all on the same night.
When asked about his development this season, Tatum told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that Ime Udoka’s style of leadership has played a significant part and that he’s grateful for the accountability laid at his feet by the rookie head coach.
“I gotta give a lot of credit to coach Udoka. Coming into this year, challenging me to be the best player I can be, as well as the team. Sitting down with me, he told me that last year, it should have left a sour taste in my mouth, not being All-NBA. And that I need to leave no doubt, and that it’s more than just scoring, I need to be the best two-way player, best playmaker, making other guys better.
He’s challenged me every day, from the beginning of the season, and I really appreciate that. I’ve seen what it’s done for myself and the success of the team. Everybody is buying into the philosophy of what he’s trying to teach us on the offensive end, and we’re one of the last teams standing, so it’s worked,” Tatum said.
Now, Tatum, Udoka, and the Celtics as a whole, are just two victories away from being crowned NBA champions, and they will be looking to snatch control of the series on June 13, when they face off against the Warriors in game five of the NBA Finals.
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