Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are solidifying themselves as the biggest threats to come out of the East after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead over the title favorite Brooklyn Nets in the first round. As of right now, Boston are the only team that is headed towards completing a sweep to open the playoffs.
Considering how many picked this to be the most competitive series of the first round, it is stunning to watch the Celtics win as easily as they have. While the Nets have kept the games close, Boston just looks two steps ahead of them in terms of how they are defending the Nets and stopping Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant from producing any offense.
The Celtics are one of the best defenses in the league and do it through effort and team basketball. As a result, Jayson Tatum wanted to send a message to the league after his Celtics have almost guaranteed a second-round berth.
Jayson Tatum: "My message is nobody plays harder than we do…We’re the hardest playing team in the league, 1-15. When I step on the floor, I’m trying to set the tone."
"When Al’s diving on the floor, there's no excuse for me or JB."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) April 24, 2022
Tatum has blossomed into the role of the best player on the team and a genuine leader over the second half of the season. Coach Ime Udoka has made Tatum one of the most feared defenders in the league right now, with Tatum clamping down Kevin Durant as we have never seen Durant clamped before.
While Tatum is the headliner, the entire team has stepped up. Jaylen Brown is one of the best two-way guards in the entire league, while Al Horford has been exposing the Nets’ lack of big-man defenders. Even role-players like Daniel Theis, Grant Williams, and Payton Pritchard have shown flashes of brilliance.
The Nets have been outmatched and will have a very tough off-season where they need to make decisions on their roster and figure out what brought them down from championship favorites to a play-in team that is a first-round exit.
