The Boston Celtics not solely spent the offseason enhancing, re-tooling and resting earlier than re-embarking, this time on repeat NBA Finals run as reigning champs. The group additionally made a couple of enemies alongside the best way, including gas to an already motivated group that is confirmed itself able to reaching the mountaintop.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had their eyes set on representing Workforce USA within the 2024 Paris Summer season Olympics, however these plans did not plan out for both of the 2. Tatum joined LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, however registered two DNPs after USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr did not deem Tatum serviceable sufficient, even throughout the semifinals in opposition to Nikola Jokić and Serbia. In the meantime, Brown was fully neglected after Workforce USA as an alternative recruited Celtics teammate Derrick White to interchange an injured Kawhi Leonard on the roster, leaving Brown rejected.
“They are going to go about it the best way that (they wish to subsequent season),” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla advised John Karalis on the “Locked On Celtics” podcast. “They’re two rivals and they’re who they’re. They’re two nice, nice gamers. So I am not going to attempt to determine how they’ll go about it. In the event that they wish to take revenge on that exact recreation, that is nice for them. Like I mentioned, my primary job is to; I gotta develop as a coach, I gotta get higher in order that I can get them higher and assist them get higher, and be a catalyst for progress. Revenge is wholesome and it isn’t on the similar time. I feel — identical to the rest — you may have a bit little bit of it, however I feel it is a short-term factor, and when that runs out what are you gonna depend on?”
Tatum and Brown will sq. off in opposition to Kerr’s limping Golden State Warriors — the final group to repeat as NBA champions — first on Nov. 6 at TD Backyard after which once more on Jan. 20 at Chase Middle. The final time each 2022 Finals foes met, Boston beat the brakes off Golden State in a 140-88 blowout on March 3. Kerr left so badly in no man’s land that the Warriors pulled Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Inexperienced for the whole thing of the second half to avoid wasting the embarrassment of being picked aside like a less-respected highschool junior varsity group. Tatum and Brown mixed for 56 factors and earned themselves an early clock-out from work within the third quarter.
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Now, with Thompson gone — ending the “Splash Brothers” period — and the group’s largest offseason strikes being the acquisitions of De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, the expertise hole between Boston and Golden State stays the place it was left final season — barely touched. This time, nonetheless, Tatum and Brown have a cause to destroy Kerr’s Warriors once more and exploit his teaching as opponents did all through the Olympics, and this time, Kerr will not have a multi-future Corridor of Fame core to bail him out.
As a substitute, Tatum and Brown can hand-deliver a impolite awakening to Kerr, the identical method the Celtics did amid their record-setting run of 17 common season 25-point “Gino Time” worthy blowouts — one thing Kerr and others needs to be conscious of.
