As challenging as it may be, the path to Jayson Tatum getting what he wants for the Celtics and in terms of individual honors is to stay the course.
The Boston Celtics boast the NBA’s best record at 44-12. No other team has reached 40 wins. They’ve maximized having the most talented top six in the league. Doing so requires sacrifice.
For Jayson Tatum, that means maintaining a steadfast commitment to repeatedly making the winning play and embracing that, for as impressive a roster as Brad Stevens has assembled, the opposition will still craft game plans revolving around making his supporting cast beat them.
A prime example came in the C’s 126-115 win in their Christmas clash with the Los Angeles Lakers. The five-time All-Star debuted his second Jordan signature sneaker in that game, a matchup showcasing one of the most iconic rivalries in sports. Furthermore, it occurred in the arena where his childhood idol, Kobe Bryant, starred.
Yet the two-time All-NBA First Team selection had no qualms spending the day dishing out seven assists and registering four screen assists that produced ten points, the latter two representing game-highs, setting up his teammates to step into the scoring spotlight.
The former Duke Blue Devil’s sacrifice is a critical ingredient fueling Boston’s success. But it’s also hurt his MVP candidacy. Surprisingly and, quite frankly, embarrassingly, two years later, Tatum not being at his best in the 2022 NBA Finals is also held against him in the race for this regular season award.
After generating 25 points, burying 5/10 threes, grabbing a team-best seven rebounds, distributing five assists, and swiping three steals in the Celtics’ 129-112 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, Tatum, who discussed that narrative during All-Star weekend, addressed it at the podium.
“I wasn’t saying that I needed to be first; I just had a problem with some people on TV saying that the reason why I won’t win this year is because of something that happened two years ago,” stated the soon-to-be 26-year-old. “That was my only disconnect.”
He continued, “I won’t have the points per game that the other three, four guys will, but I think the voters are smart enough to understand the dynamic of our team, essentially having to do less scoring maybe on certain nights, but still impact the game in a lot of ways to, kind of, ensure that we win every single night; that we’re in first place, that we’re trying to be the best team, that everybody on the team feels valued. It’s not just about me. Because I’m gonna need everybody down the stretch. We’re gonna need each other for what we’re trying to do, (which is) to try to win a championship.”
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