To win the NBA championship, the Celtics need the leadership of their star Jayson Tatum, who will begin his seventh season. What challenges do you face with Boston? ESPN experts answer it.
Last season, the Boston Celtics were one win away from reaching the NBA Finals and now they are looking to take that small leap.
To win the NBA championship, the Celtics need the leadership of their star Jayson Tatumwho will begin his seventh campaign.
What challenges does Tatum face with the Celtics? ESPN experts answer it.
1- What is the main challenge for Jayson Tatum in the next season?
After having his best season in terms of statistics and assuming the role as leader of the Boston Celtics, the only individual recognition that Jayson Tatum lacks is the Most Valuable Player award, but the most important challenge he faces is the one of finally obtaining his first ring as NBA champion.
Barely 25 years old, Tatum is in the best moment of his career, after being the MVP of the most recent All-Star Game and being nominated to the All-NBA first team, but for the benchmark of one of the most important franchises of the League, the only objective is to win the title, after coming close in 2022.
With the arrival to the squad of a point guard with a defensive focus like Jrue Holiday and a center who can dominate the paint, but also contribute triples like Kristaps Porzingisthe forward should have support to perform offensively, although without playing so much time in the regular phase to avoid wear and tear in the playoffs.
With these strengthened Celtics and a Tatum who maintains an average of 30 points per game, Boston should be one of the candidates to win in the East, despite the arrival of Damian Lillard to Milwaukee and the presence of the MVP, Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, to return glory to the legendary jersey and fulfill Jayson’s mission. (Juan Pablo Sánchez)
2- A key number or statistic for Jayson Tatum next season.
135. The points Jayson Tatum needs to reach 10,000. If he maintains the 27.9-point average of his past three seasons, Tatum should reach 10,000 points on Nov. 4 against Brooklyn, in his 444th game.
One game more or one less, either way Tatum will be the third fastest Celtic to reach 10,000 points, behind Paul Pierce, who did it in 431 games, and Larry Bird, who did it in 436.
At just over 25 years old, the best is yet to come for Tatum, who averaged 30 points per game for the first time in his career (30.1 in 2022-23) and led the league in field goal attempts (1,559) and total of points (2,225). (Hiram Martinez)
3- Is Tatum ready to lead the Celtics to win a title?
It must be. A lot has been expected from Tatum and the Celtics, at least in the recent two seasons, during which they have dominated the Eastern Conference and played balanced basketball in attack and defense.
Each season we see a more integrated, understood and committed team and now with the arrivals of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, among others, the eyes and conversation about the favorites for the title greatly include Boston.
In that sense, Tatum must take the role of leader of the team that lost its ‘soul’ in Marcus Smartbut still has its ‘power duo’ in Tatum and Jaylen Brownwho have lacked that ‘quite to carry the weight’ and take the Celtics back to the NBA Finals and this time not to look at others lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy like a couple of years ago before the Golden State Warriors.
For this season Tatum will be a young player, but mature as he enters his seventh season in the Association, he has enough experience in the playoffs and has developed his character to take charge of taking a game when his team requires it.
And perhaps this is one of Tatum’s last remaining opportunities to enshrine himself in Celtics history. (Roland of the Forest)
2023-10-06 12:17:30
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