LeBron James had great things to say about Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on the ‘Mind Your Game’ Podcast with JJ Redick.
“He’s 25 years old and I believe he’s been to the conference finals four times, been to the NBA Finals once, he’s 25 years old, I didn’t win my first one until I was 28, I think [Jokic] won his first one at 27, I think [Michael Jordan] was 28 as well. I think we have a lot of expectations on [Tatum], but he’s experienced a lot of winning in his career so far. Obviously, everyone wants to see him get over the hump, but four conference finals and a Finals appearance before the age of 26 is – that’s elite.”
James also discussed the odds of the Celtics succeeding this season, remarking on the cheap price they picked up Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the summer.
“He continues to grow, and they are in a position to make another title run. And like you said, personnel helps. Add [Kristaps] Porzingis and getting Jrue [Holiday] for a bag of Lay’s potato chips, that helps as well. But when you go and you start scouting for Boston, [Tatum’s] the No. 1 guy, for sure.”
https://twitter.com/CelticsUnite18/status/1770085497211154579
Tatum has solidified himself as one of the best players in the NBA, waiting for his championship coronation to be regarded as a superstar in the league. He’s averaging 27.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season, leading the Celtics to the best record in the NBA.
While Tatum’s talent won’t be appreciated on the level of Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic, there’s no ignoring his incredible resume. The Celtics have been stacked throughout their time with Tatum and will hope that 2024 is finally the year they can lift title No. 18, especially if they go into the postseason with 65 wins or more.
LeBron James Explains Why The Celtics Lost The 2022 NBA Finals
LeBron rates Tatum and the Celtics’ roster highly. He even discussed the 2022 NBA Finals where the Celtics were beaten in six games by the Golden State Warriors. According to James, he believed the Celtics had a better roster but the Warriors’ IQ and experience of playing in that situation led to their success with worse players.
“There are moments in the game that a coach cannot prepare you for, film can’t prepare you for, and the history of the game can’t prepare you for. Where you have to have a basketball IQ to make adjustments right away… I believe that when Golden State beat Boston, it came down to IQ in the Finals. ‘Cause Boston, to me, had the better talent. Boston had the better talent. But it came down to IQ. People say experience — IQ.”
LeBron James said the Celtics lost to the Warriors in the Finals in 2022 because of IQ, but JJ Redick explains how he’s seen growth from Jayson Tatum in that regard:
“It feels like with him, the reads are quicker. Making the right play is just quicker.”
(Via @mindthegamepod) pic.twitter.com/gXP8HvRrza
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 19, 2024
Tatum was extremely disappointing in those 2022 Finals, averaging 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. Fans took their stock out of Tatum in recent years with a playoff collapse seeming inevitable every season. However, this year’s Celtics may be one of the most dangerous teams in modern NBA history.
The Celtics should be favored to win the title with ease given their dominance over the regular season, but the playoff IQ battle could cause them to shockingly lose to a team like the Heat again.
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