The Celtics have taken a very tumultuous road to find the NBA Finals. Since arriving in Massachusetts, Jayson Tatum has had map and compass in hand to help Boston get on the right path. The Celtics winger has had quite a few big playoff eliminations in just four seasons. And following such heavy failures, JT is not ashamed to say that looking at the ceiling of his room lying on his bed, he questioned himself, especially on his leadership.
One defeat in the first round in 2021, one in the second round in 2019, and two defeats in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018 and 2020. As Mister V would say: that’s a lot there, isn’t it? All that is FINALLY history: the Celtics are back in the NBA Finals whereas six months earlier they were 11th in the East at less than 50% wins. Boston was still unlucky in the Playoffs: often seed 1 or 2 of Conference but on the big deadlines, the adversaries have more experience and succeed in defeating the franchise of Massachusetts. This season the mentality changed, we had to fight in the second half of the regular season to reach the Playoffs, and it was successful. In the first round: the favorites at the start of the season to grab the title, swept away. Second round: the defending champions, eliminated on a Game 7 without debate. Eastern Conference Finals: The corner kings are eliminated on Game 7 away. This Boston team has a steel mind, it has not lost two games in a row in these Playoffs, and the determination of the C’s also comes from its leaders on a mission. Jayson Tatum was tired of failing so close to the goal, so he took his team to the NBA Finals. With an average of 27 points at 44.6% shooting success, 6.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.2 interceptions, the winger was able to be versatile and clutch to take his team as far as possible. At the dawn of the biggest deadline of his career, the former Duke returned to all the eliminations he may have experienced, and the feeling of doubt in him that they may have created.
“I’ll be honest, for my part, there were times when I wondered if I was the right person to be the leader of a group like this. You know, I never doubted myself, but just following some defeats and following the most difficult moments of the season. It’s human to question yourself, to do this kind of thing. But you always have to stick to what you believe and have confidence in the work you have done. You know, it can’t rain forever. »
– Jayson Tatum, at a press conference before Game 1 of the Finals
JT is not a real vocal leader, he is not one of those players who can motivate you in the locker room at half-time with a thundering speech in the style of TP at the half of Euro 2013. Marcus Smart knows how to play the vocal leader Boston needs. In the locker room, on the field, in attack, in defense, we know how to hear it. Jaylen Brown also has that natural presence, but a few years ago, some Boston fans might criticize Tatum for sometimes being too withdrawn when there is a lot of adversity. The little JT has since grown up, he has taken the lead and developed his game to be able to succeed in imposing himself as boss. On this Playoffs campaign, Tatum has never made so many assists when you look at his career numbers. Yes failures are hard to take, but you learn a lot more in a defeat than in a victory. All these eliminations in the Playoffs over the last five seasons have allowed, according to Tatum, to consolidate the links and to come back stronger the following season.
” It’s a group. It’s a team sport. We support each other in times like these. As difficult as it can be in times like this, you have to know how to stay united. »
JT said it, it can’t rain forever. And the storm has finally passed: Boston is back in the NBA Finals following a twelve-year wait. The Celtics’ Draft choice has done its job well: the third pick of 2017 has shown what he can do, and intends to take his teammates as far as possible in these Finals, whether the outcome is favorable or not.
Text source: press conference (via House Of Highlights)
