For the first time this season, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to go head-to-head with the Boston Celtics.
While Sixers-Celtics is always a rivalry with added juice no matter the time of year, the November 10 matchup is slightly more charged.
Over the summer, the 76ers and the Celtics struck a deal. Boston acquired Paul George, while the 76ers picked up Jaylen Brown.
While George can feel relaxed going into Tuesday’s action, Brown and Jayson Tatum, are in a different situation. All offseason long–heading into Tuesday’s game–it’s clear that Tatum and Brown are not on great terms.
All things considered, Paul George was asked about Tatum’s mood heading into the big game.
Jayson Tatum’s Mindset vs 76ers Revealed By Celtics Star Paul George
“JT is locked in. He’s as professional as they come preparing for a game,” George said on Tuesday morning at shoortaround.
“He’s been playing at an MVP level. I think he’s looking at it is another game on the schedule. Obviously, there’s a lot of noise surrounding it that, hopefully, he’s not lost in. It’s our job to support him through it and make sure his focus is where it needs to be to come out here and have a chance to play a really good team, and continue to add to his MVP resume this season.”
George and Tatum have clicked so far in Boston. Tatum is back to being the clear-cut No. 1 option for the Celtics, while George has fully embraced his role as robin.
Meanwhile, Brown entered the situation with the Sixers, understanding that he had to make a sacrifice at times, considering the team is stacked with high-usage stars.
In nine games this season, Tatum has posted averages of 27.1 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds. George has put up 20.4 points per game, along with 5.2 rebounds per game, and 4.1 assists per game.
On the Sixers, Brown is averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, while shooting 39.2% from three.
Jayson Tatum’s Mindset vs 76ers Revealed By Celtics Star Paul George