Jayson Tatum isn’t shocked that the Boston Celtics are starting this season under intense scrutiny given their summer.

On Monday, Tatum stated, “People expect us to get to the championship and win.” “And if we don’t, then we might not have lived up to expectations.”

This is due to the fact that the Celtics were one of the busiest teams in the NBA during a busy summer.

They traded defensive stalwart and sentimental leader Marcus Smart to three teams in June, acquiring big player Kristaps Porzingis in exchange.

The All-Star Jaylen Brown inked a five-year supermax extension the following month, earning the biggest contract in NBA history.

 

 

Next, on Sunday, the eve of training camp, Boston pulled off yet another spectacular maneuver. This time, five-time all-defensive pick Jrue Holiday was traded to Portland in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and rim protector Robert Williams III.

It’s rocked the foundation of a club that missed out on a second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals last season by one game. Even if a lot has changed in Boston over the last two months, one thing is still true: Tatum will ultimately determine how far the Celtics can go.

The four-time All-Star claims he is prepared and eager to take on this responsibility.

Is pressure present? Yes, Tatum said. Each year, a small number of clubs have a serious chance to win the championship. Indeed, we are among them. Towards that is our goal. And that’s the direction we ought to go.

Tatum, who has been selected to the All-NBA team three times, will begin his seventh season as the second-longest player with the Celtics, only to Antonio Brown.

 

As much as Holiday and Porzingis were brought in to strengthen the team over the long run, Tatum will now have even greater leadership responsibilities right away.

Tatum said it won’t be a new hat for him to wear, despite the fact that he has previously come under fire for not being a vocal celebrity

“I’m heard, and I’m present. I speak up during practices, video, huddles, and games, Tatum stated. Maybe not everyone can see it. Maybe it’s not the loudest. But I express my opinions. Guys listen to me, and I listen to them.

As the Celtics attempt to take advantage of their championship window in an Eastern Conference that has grown increasingly competitive since Damian Lillard moved to Milwaukee, a voice that can help this new group gel will be crucial.

The Celtics’ coach, Joe Mazzulla, is appreciative of the extra focus.

“Everyone is attempting to accomplish something exceedingly difficult,” Mazzulla remarked. “It seems to me that there should be expectations.”

This summer, Tatum worked out hard in the gym with Basketball hall-of-famer Paul Pierce as part of his regular offseason routine.

Naturally, Pierce was a member of the final Celtics squad to win a championship in 2008.

Tatum commented, “It was nice to have him around.” He regaled us with numerous anecdotes about the winning squad. Many concepts will be attempted to be applied this year.

This summer, Brown and Tatum worked out together in an effort to fulfill their declared ambitions of being selected for the NBA All-Defensive team.

“We used to work out in the summer, but no one really paid attention to it back then. However, it seems like everyone is noticing it now, Brown remarked. Simply attempting to improve. Working together to achieve better. attempting to improve our chemistry.

After dealing with a bothersome wrist ailment in the latter part of the previous season, Tatum gained roughly 12 pounds of muscle.

Following numerous meetings with physicians, he decided against having surgery, saying he “took all the right measures to make sure I was healthy and prepare to come into this season with no distractions.”

His attention is now solely on putting in the additional effort necessary on the court to help the Celtics win their 18th championship.

Every action we’ve taken has been excellent. But Tatum claimed that it wasn’t sufficient. “So, starting with myself, everyone needs to make sacrifices or be prepared to put in more effort. … since we still haven’t achieved our goals.