After a surprising 117-108 home loss against the Bulls in their previous game, the Boston Celtics bounced back with a commanding 123-98 victory at United Center last night. Jayson Tatum led the way in Chicago, stuffing the stat sheet with 45 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.
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Kristaps Porzingis, who logged his 9th appearance of the season last night, was full of praise for JT following the win. “He’s [Tatum] not like, a PR player,” the Latvian center told reporters during the post-game press conference. “He doesn’t do everything just for PR, like, he actually plays the right way, like he doesn’t need to always score 50.”
The reason Tatum doesn’t always need to break the box score is because of support from his co-stars like KP. The 29-year-old had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks against the Bulls, helping Boston secure a well-rounded win. Despite his strong performance, Porzingis advocated for JT to receive his due credit.
“He’s hungry for winning. And that is a big difference. And I think, yeah of course, a lot of people take him for granted,” Porzingis added.
Kristaps Porzingis agreed with Joe 100% that people take Jayson Tatum for granted:
“He’s not a PR player — he doesn't do everything just for PR. He actually plays the right way, he doesn't need to always score 50. He’s hungry for winning. And that's a big difference.” pic.twitter.com/aOAwv8XMQv
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) December 22, 2024
For Tatum, this is the cost of success. With the best roster in the league, constructed specifically to support him and Jaylen Brown, JT is not required to be the dominant first option that he can be. While his game is by no means underrated, the 26-year-old also doesn’t demand attention for himself in the media.
Despite being an NBA champion and an Olympic gold medalist at his young age, Tatum doesn’t champion himself as the face of the NBA. Instead, he lets his game do the talking. What was particularly notable in his dominance against the Bulls last night, was how he got to his 43 points without relying on free-throws.
JT drew just 2 foul shots and scored most of his points from behind the arc. He also displayed a blistering efficiency, knocking down 60% of his three-pointers and 67% of his field goals. Performances like these lend weight to Porzingis’ comment that Tatum’s game isn’t fully appreciated. In fact, that seems to be a common sentiment in Boston.
Joe Mazzulla agrees that Jayson Tatum is taken for granted
Following their 22nd win of the season, the Celtics’ head coach credited JT for his consistency and availability. He has played in 25 of the 28 games thus far, averaging career-highs in rebounds (9.0) and assists (5.5). Mazzulla credited Tatum for his all-around contributions against Chicago.
“His shot-making, his decision making, you know, and then his ability to rebound, which was great. I thought he kind of controlled the entire game,” the 36-year-old said in the post-game presser.
Despite leading his team to the third-best record in the league, Tatum remains fifth on the KIA MVP Ladder this season. In conjunction with his limited role during the 2024 Olympics, the Celtics forward has certainly suffered from skewed perception.
“He’s been doing great things for such a long time, I still think he gets taken for granted,” Mazzulla added. “Still think his greatness gets taken for granted. Because he has done it for a long time, it comes relatively easy to him, [and] you know, we’re in Boston.”
Being on a competent and competitive franchise has affected how fans perceive Tatum. In seven seasons, the Duke standout has never missed the Playoffs. His Celtics have made 5 Conference Finals and 2 NBA Finals appearances during his young career, and it’s hard to tell just how much silverware they are capable of winning.
