Many thought that following the scandal and controversy that the Boston Celtics dealt with before the season, they would start the year off shaky. They were playing a revamped Philadelphia 76ers roster, too, with James Harden looking a lot more like his old self than he has in a while. But despite all the turmoil following the Ime Udoka situation, Boston started the season with a win, pulling away in the 3rd quarter and then seeing it through to win comfortably.
The catalysts for this win for the Celtics were their stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The two Jays combined for a whopping 70 points, scoring 35 points each. And Tatum showed glimpses that he could be an MVP candidate this season, adding 12 rebounds and 4 assists to his tally. Tatum also shot an incredible 65% from the field, while Brown shot nearly 60% himself. It was a masterful performance and one that has earned them some heavy praise.
Paul Pierce Says Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown Are The NBA’s Best Duo
As has become the norm with them, apart from scoring efficiently and at a high rate, Brown and Tatum also contributed significantly to the defensive side of the ball. They managed to hold Joel Embiid and James Harden to fewer points than themselves while leading the Celtics admirably. And with this performance, it seems Celtics legend Paul Pierce has seen everything that he needed to see because he tweeted in the aftermath, calling them the NBA’s best duo.
NBA Best Duo Tatum and Brown hands down
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) October 19, 2022
“NBA Best Duo Tatum and Brown hands down.”
This is a big claim from Pierce, considering that the league also has duos like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to consider. But when their two-way abilities are taken into account, Brown and Tatum now have a real claim to being better as a duo than all of those mentioned above.
Ultimately, their goal will be to go one step beyond what they achieved last season and try to win an NBA title. The way to end any debate about whether they are the best is not is to secure some hardware. And the Celtics have made an excellent start on that journey, beating a tough Sixers team. The regular season is a slog, but if Tatum and Bown can stay this motivated throughout, they might just make it exciting for fans of the Green Machine.
