Joe Mazzulla was interviewed as part of Netflix’s latest docuseries, ‘Starting 5’. When asked about the unfair criticism, as they put it, that Jayson Tatum receives from NBA fans and analysts, Mazzulla gave a refreshing answer that put things into perspective. He noted that greatness will attract criticism, and it is the ultimate compliment for a player to receive.
“He gets to deal with it It’s the ultimate compliment. That’s what we talk about. This is what you asked for.”
Mazzulla is known for his unique philosophies and outside-the-box thinking. His unique ability to turn negative situations into positive encouragement for players is perhaps unmatched in the NBA, and his statement above is a great example of how he is able to do just that.
Mazzulla was able to get the best out of Jayson Tatum last year, along with the Celtics as a whole. The Celtics dominated the NBA last year and went on to win the NBA championship for the first time in 14 years. Tatum played a big role in that, along with Jaylen Brown, who won Finals MVP.
Tatum is looking to prove some doubters wrong after what was a poor run in the playoffs. Despite the Celtics winning the NBA championship, Tatum was less than stellar in the playoffs, averaging 25.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
These numbers look good in isolation, but when you consider that he shot just 42.7% from the field and a staggering 28.3% from the three-point line, it puts into perspective just how much he was struggling.
On top of that, Tatum had a poor summer, as he was largely unused by Steve Kerr on Team USA during their run to the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kerr came under fire for not using Jayson Tatum over his Celtics teammate Derrick White, and surely, Tatum will want to prove that he should have been used more.
MVP Season Incoming For Jayson Tatum?
Jayson Tatum has spoken about his ambitions for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season. He noted that one of his big goals this year was to win MVP. After what was a poor playoff run, where Tatum missed out on Finals MVP to teammate Jaylen Brown, a big accolade like MVP of the league will do wonders for his confidence.
Joe Mazzulla spoke recently about why he was happy that Jayson Tatum missed out on Finals MVP, noting that he feels the disappointment of missing the accolade will motivate Tatum to work even harder and play better next season, especially come playoff time.
The Celtics are considered the favorites to run it back and win the NBA championship next season, although their road to the title will be much harder this year after the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers made some big improvements to their roster.
Tatum was asked about this, and he claimed that he was excited to take on the challenge of facing these new teams in their current form, and they would need to prove their championship pedigree by beating them.
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