“He’s true Finals MVP player” NBA Analyst believes Jayson Tatum’s true caliber and spark will be tested in the upcoming season
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Brian Windhorst talks about Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum and Boston Celtics came close to winning the franchise’s 18th title in 2022. Their gutsy play carried them to the NBA Finals yet they lost the finals series in 6 games. Tatum was seen struggling in final showdown after his conference-series’ heroics. The Celtics lost the series 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors despite holding a 2-1 lead. Tatum did not have a great outing in the important “win-or-go-home” game, registering only 13 points and shooting 33.3%. Sadly it was at the Garden. But ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes he is an NBA Finals MVP-caliber player.
Brian Windhorst was in a discussion about the future superstars of the league on “The Hoop Collective” show. While it was more of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic leading the race in the discussion, an ESPN analyst brought up Jayson Tatum in the mix.
He said, “You guys know that I’m a big believer in Jayson Tatum. I believe he is Finals MVP-caliber player. Could have been this year’s Finals MVP, he didn’t get it done, clearly, in the finals. He didn’t play his best. The Celtics didn’t play their best.”
Praising the star forward, Brian added, “Watching how Tatum reacts to that first major setback is – I mean, I’m not saying this is a make-or-break season for him at all, to be clear – but like, you know, we’re going to learn a lot about what Tatum’s ceiling is going to be and how he reacts to it this year.”
Jayson Tatum and Boston Celtics would be a team to watch in the 2023 season.
17-time world champion Boston Celtics last made it to the NBA final in 2010, and since then they were waiting for the perfect team to take them to the glory. The Celtics underwent a complete overhaul after trading Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for draft picks in 2013. Looking at how far the team went in the playoffs last year.
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The 2020 Celtics team came close to fulfilling that dream but was outdone by lower ranked Miami Heat team in 6 games. During the 2020 season also Windhorst predicted the massive role JT needed to play in the playoffs, “Are they gonna be in the finals? That comes down to Jayson Tatum. He is the biggest star on their team. He’s got the most potential.”
While 2 seasons later, they looked a bit out of the contest, as they fall below .500 near Dec 2021. The team showed character and up their tempo for the second half of the season, winning most of the games in the process. They rush to the second seed in the East and looked serious contender in a heavily loaded conference.
The road to the NBA Finals was not an easy one, as the Tatum-led Celtics had to go against mega-teams like Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat. Teams were stacked with superstars like Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler. Regardless, Tatum found a way to score with help of team defense. He was deservedly crowned 1st Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his output on the court. Boston made it to the finals and was once again considered a favorite.
Particularly Jayson Tatum made it easier for the Celtics with his shooting touch and helped the team at the defensive end too. 3-time All-Star averaged 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in the postseason, despite playing with a troubling injured wrist. The 24-year-old is still one of the league’s rising stars. And as the Celtics see him, he is expected to lead the charge for them in upcoming seasons.
Current odds show that the Celtics are one of the favorites to win the 2023 title. To achieve that, the Celtics made very little adjustment to their core and added help in the guard department as they signed the Pacers ball-handler Malcolm Brogdon. Jayson Tatum will need to have similar performances to carry them in the regular season and in playoffs too, but they looked well equipped for the same.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)