Boston Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum has made a firm statement of intent to the league through the first two games.
Tatum continued his impressive form in Thursday’s win on the road in Washington, taking Boston’s record to 2-0 for the season.
The 26-year-old logged a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds alongside six assists without having to step onto the floor in the fourth quarter.
He sat on the bench during the final period for a second game running – following 37 points and ten assists in the Celtics’ opening night victory over the New York Knicks.
After securing his first NBA championship title in June, the weight of expectation off Tatum‘s back could be everything he needs and more to make a strong push for MVP.
WATCH: Tatum puts Wizards’ 2nd overall pick Alex Sarr on skates
JAYSON TATUM IS SPECIAL.
BOS-WAS | NBA League Pass
📲 https://t.co/B13N9Yxnzn pic.twitter.com/Bu9KhhiiXa— NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2024
Boston Celtics News: Reigning champions begin ‘title defense’ in style
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla made some headlines last month when he expressed his dislike for the term ‘title defense’ as the 18-time champions bid to become the first back-to-back winners since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
Mazzulla told the Locked On Celtics podcast:
“The phrase ‘defending a title’ is a very passive-aggressive term. If you look at the animal kingdom, some of the strongest animals don’t defend; they’re the most aggressive, they attack the most.”
Boston’s ‘title attack’ looks pretty good so far. They brushed aside a highly-rated Knicks side who spent all summer gearing up to beat the Celtics, making significant trades to try and match-up more efficiently.
However, it looks as though the Celtics could just continue to pull away from the rest of the league. They brought back almost every member of the title-winning team and with such a young core featuring Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston will continue to improve each year.
Tatum, a bonafide top-five player in the league, is averaging 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to start the season on 50% shooting from three and 61% from the field.
