Jayson Tatum put in a spectacular performance at the United Center on Saturday to lead the Boston Celtics to a 123-98 win over the Chicago Bulls. After the game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla stated that Tatum’s greatness gets taken for granted and Kristaps Porzingis agreed with him.
“He’s not like a (personal record) player — he doesn’t do everything just for PR,” Porzingis said. “He actually plays the right play. He doesn’t need to always score 50. He’s hungry for winning, and there is a big difference. A lot of people take him for granted.
“He’s able to do it all on the basketball court,” Porzingis stated. “That’s the beautiful part about him. Guard anybody, dish out 10 assists, steal some rebounds from me.”
Tatum did it all against the Bulls. The 26-year-old finished with 43 points (16-24 FG), 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in Chicago to ensure the Celtics improved to 22-6 on the season. It was a masterclass and a reminder of what he is capable of.
As for what Mazzulla had to say about Tatum, he feels his star gets taken for granted because he’s been so good for so long.
“Because he’s been doing great things for such a long time, I still think he gets taken for granted,” Mazzulla said. “Still think his greatness gets taken for granted because he’s done it for a long time. It comes relatively easy to him. We’re in Boston, so that’s the expectation.”
Tatum has been an All-Star in each of the last five seasons and has made the All-NBA First Team in each of the last three. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league but perhaps doesn’t get enough respect outside Boston.
Jayson Tatum’s Main Goal Is To Win Another Title, Not His First MVP
Tatum is having another excellent season for the Celtics but still finds himself somewhat on the outside when it comes to the MVP conversation. Following this win over the Bulls, Tatum was asked about that conversation and made it clear that winning a title is his main goal.
“We’re a really, really good team, with so many talented players,” Tatum said. “I’m probably not going to put up the same numbers as some of those other guys. That’s perfectly fine with me, especially what we did in June last year. That’s the main goal here, not for me to win MVP but for us to play at a high level and compete for championships year in and year out. If I accomplish that along the way, it’d be amazing.”
That is indeed the right mindset. Tatum realizes that sacrificing the chance to put up big numbers is a small price to pay for winning the ultimate prize, as he did last season.
The Celtics have a great shot at defending that title too and are perhaps the favorites to win it all at the moment. Their current focus, though, would be on closing the gap to the top of the standings in the East when they take on the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on Monday at 7 PM ET.
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