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[Saba Sports News] Jayson Tatum has been one of the NBA’s top players in recent seasons, but the strength of the Celtics’ roster often overshadows his contributions. He discussed this with Draymond Green on TNT after the Celtics clinched their third consecutive Conference Finals appearance.
“It’s a lot of things I wish I could say, but it’s not for me to decide. Everybody has their job, including the voters who decide who should win MVP. Jokic rightly deserved that this year. At this point, the only thing that matters is getting that big trophy. We can worry about the individual awards later down my career, but this year just trying to get that championship.”
Tatum often feels his individual play hasn’t received due recognition. There was a push from Tatum and his camp to enter the MVP race around the All-Star break, but disappointing performances caused the momentum to fade. Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists during the season, with 24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in the playoffs. Despite a slow start in the postseason, he delivered superstar performances in the Celtics’ last three wins over the Cavaliers.
Boston will face either the inexperienced Indiana Pacers or the injured New York Knicks next. This is a prime opportunity for Tatum and the Celtics to reach the NBA Finals again.
Tatum has rejected the narrative that the Celtics are a superteam all season long, as it devalues his contributions. He points to end-of-season awards to argue against this perception.
“That’s the narrative you might see on TV, the idea that we have a super team. It’s twofold. We didn’t have the Coach of the Year or MVP. We only had two All-Stars. They say we’re a super team, but we didn’t get rewarded like we are.”
Superteams often don’t receive many end-of-season awards. Tatum’s performance wasn’t dominant enough for MVP consideration, and Joe Mazzulla’s contributions were overlooked as Mark Daigneault led the youngest team in the NBA to the No. 1 seed in a more challenging conference.
The Celtics have navigated the East with ease, partly due to being a superteam and partly due to their opponents’ injuries. If the Celtics don’t win the title this season, it could be one of the most disappointing seasons for this group, given their dominance. Losing four out of seven games in the playoffs would reinforce doubts about their ability to win a championship.