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On the December 2 episode of “KG Certified: Ticket and the Truth,” Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett praised his former team for the success they’ve had to start this season, singling out Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for how well they’ve played. While this was going on, fellow Celtics Hall of Famer and former teammate Paul Pierce mocked Garnett for predicting the Celtics would not play as well as they have because of Robert Williams’ absence.
“Now he’s giving the Celtics praise,” Pierce said with a grin on his face. “Remember this at the beginning? The Celtics are not going to be top four. No Robert Williams. We got to keep coming back to this because this will let you know that this is the squad you said because they didn’t have Robert Williams, that you didn’t have them (in your top four).”
This is in reference to a prediction Garnett made before the season started in which he excluded the Celtics from being among the top four teams in the east. Instead, he had the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics have the no. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, sporting a record of 18-5.
Paul Pierce Says Jayson Tatum Has Surpassed Kevin Durant
During that same episode, Pierce said that last year’s playoff matchup between the Celtics and the Nets demonstrated that Jayson Tatum had surpassed Kevin Durant as the better basketball player.
“I think, after last year’s playoffs, (Tatum) surpassed Kevin Durant as far as the better player in the NBA today,” Pierce said. “Him going against Kevin Durant was like a passing of the torch. I’m not taking nothing away from KD. KD is still one of the greatest to ever play. He’s still one of the best in the game. I just think Tatum today has passed KD.”
The Celtics swept Durant and the Nets in the first round of the postseason in 2022. In that series, Tatum averaged 29.5 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three.
By contrast, Durant averaged 26.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.8 blocks while shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. The Celtics will face the Nets in their first matchup since the Celtics beat them in the playoffs.
Malcolm Brogdon Declares Tatum Season’s MVP
After the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat on December 1, Brogdon said that Tatum was the season’s MVP thus far, praising his teammate for the level he’s playing at.
“It’s incredible, man,” Brogdon said. “We’ve gotten to play him a good amount in my career and he’s taken a giant step every year. And to play the way he did last year, to be in the MVP race at times last year, and then to take the jump he’s taken this year has been pretty incredible to watch. Undoubtedly, he should be leading the MVP race right now. He’s playing at a superstar level.”
The NBA has recognized Tatum’s hot start to the season thus far, as he was awarded the season’s first Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors.
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