Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have finally proven all their detractors wrong this season. After spending nearly half a decade paired together and being unable to get out of the Conference Finals, the Celtics finally took their core to the NBA Finals where they are currently tied 1-1 with the Golden State Warriors.
The Celtics looked like an unstoppable machine through the second half of the season, playing almost a perfectly synchronized team system both offensively and defensively. Coach Ime Udoka found the chemistry between the guy and used it to execute his game-plan to perfection.
Marcus Smart, the vocal leader of this team commented on the growth of Brown and Tatum. He praised them for maturing and going past the typical young player mindset of being a little selfish to show everyone in the league what they are capable of.
“The selflessness they matured to having.”
@celtics Point Guard Marcus Smart (@smart_MS3) tells @Scalabrine what changed for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown this season #CelticPride #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/yn82IUrxem
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 8, 2022
“The selflessness that they matured to having. Early on, as young guys, you are trying to make a name for yourself, you’re trying to prove what you got. That doesn’t always line up with what the team wants to do or helping the team. For us, it’s understanding that if we win, everyone wins. I think this year in particular we understood that and matured in that aspect.
Putting up numbers and not winning can sometimes cause a bigger hit on a legacy than just being an average player. Before Tatum or Brown could be called ’empty stats merchants’ for putting up big numbers on a poor team, they have already proven how capable they are of playing winning basketball.
The Celtics team have found a great rhythm and this can take them all the way to winning their 18th NBA Championship. While they definitely have a hard road to beat the Warriors, this team is locked into making this dream come true together.
