In the underbelly of TD Garden, beneath the black upholstered seats and an extended outlet cross from the famed parquet ground, the house and highway locker rooms lie parallel to one another, separated by solely a slim hallway and a white paint-splashed concrete wall. A really un-soundproof wall, it seems, one which the Celtics—had they been ready to foresee the consequence of the 2022 Finals—would have bolted acoustic panels to years in the past. Inside Boston’s locker room, minutes after they dropped a series-clinching Game 6 to Golden State, tears flowed. Blank faces stared down at crumpled stat sheets. Ime Udoka was the first to break the silence. “And I don’t assume he needed to,” says heart Al Horford. Outside, the roar from dozens of champagne-soaked Warriors gamers and personnel was unavoidable. The pulsing from the hip-hop music vibrated by the flooring. “Trust me,” says Horford, “we may hear every little thing.”
Even now, Jayson Tatum winces at the reminiscence. Leaning again in his locker that night time, every little thing he achieved—All-Star starter, All-NBA First Team, the seventh-highest scoring common (26.9 ppg) in Celtics historical past—felt meaningless. Showered, modified and recent from rehashing the Finals with just a few dozen reporters, Tatum may nonetheless hear the celebration as he walked to his automobile. “Definitely not feeling,” he says. What he noticed earlier bothered him extra: Golden State’s celebrating on Boston’s house ground. “That,” says Tatum, who shot solely 36.7% from the discipline throughout the Finals, “I’ll by no means forget.”
Jeffrey A. Salter/Sports Illustrated
The NBA season is a six-month slog, eight if, like Boston, you make a deep playoff run. Tatum’s felt longer. Since 2020, when Tatum logged 41 minutes per recreation throughout the Celtics’ 17-game postseason in the NBA bubble, his breaks have been transient. The bubble shortly transitioned to the COVID-19-squeezed, 72-game ’20–21 season (35.8 minutes per recreation for Tatum in that one), which gave approach to a weeks-long journey to Tokyo for the Olympics that then dropped him proper into ’21–22. The psychological drain of final season is nicely chronicled: the 18–21 begin, the players-only conferences, the each day public tongue-lashings from Udoka, the first-year coach introduced in to shake issues up after Brad Stevens took over as group president. Tatum, not often rattled, recalled an early-January group bus journey after Boston blew a 20-point lead in New York . . . which got here after the Celtics misplaced on a missed layup to San Antonio . . . which got here on the heels of a three-game post-Christmas shedding streak; he questioned whether or not they would ever determine it out.
There was the bodily toll, too, which was much less seen. A mid-February left wrist damage—later identified as a nondisplaced fracture—triggered Tatum appreciable ache. He downplayed the damage, slipping on a gentle forged behind closed doorways, taking it off when the cameras had been rolling and defending the wrist with tape an inch thick throughout video games whereas consciously avoiding utilizing it to break his falls. He performed 76 video games. His minutes (35.9) had been a profession excessive. In the playoffs, they jumped to 41.0. Drew Hanlen, Tatum’s longtime coach, communicates with him each day. When the Finals ended, Hanlen says he didn’t hear from his consumer for practically two weeks. “I used to be exhausted,” says Tatum. “Didn’t really feel like speaking to anyone. Didn’t really feel like being bothered. It’s laborious to clarify if in case you have by no means been in that state of affairs. But shedding a championship was f—ing depressing.”
Success is outlined by championships, nowhere extra so than in Boston, the place the 17 banners dangling from the rafters create a literal bar for it. Yet it’s laborious to argue {that a} season that started so underwhelmingly, that ended so impressively (34–12 after Jan. 1, the NBA’s third-best end), that culminated with the franchise’s first Finals look in 12 years, wasn’t one. Or that the Celtics, stocked with 20-something stars, weren’t nicely positioned for extra.
But are they? Boston’s offseason was something however quiet. Days earlier than coaching camp, it emerged that Udoka had been concerned in a relationship with a feminine workers member, in violation of group insurance policies, main the group to droop him for the season. That meant it might fall to Joe Mazzulla, a 34-year-old assistant who has been with the group for 3 years, to navigate the group by not solely the teaching upheaval, but additionally the different points that had turn into speaking factors over the summer time, specifically whether or not Tatum, after a three-figure turnover postseason, had one other stage. Whether Marcus Smart, his Defensive Player of the Year {hardware} nonetheless shining, was the proper match as a lead guard. Whether Jaylen Brown was a championship-level costar—or whether or not Boston wanted to get aggressive in pursuit of a immediately obtainable former MVP.
Let’s discuss about the photographs of Tatum and Kevin Durant, Olympic teammates turned summer time exercise companions that went viral after a Celtics photographer posted them to Instagram. Innocent, if you happen to ask Tatum, who befriended the NBA star as a highschool prospect. A 12 months after successful gold in Tokyo, Tatum and Durant met up for just a few days in Los Angeles this offseason. The relationship, says Hanlen, was symbiotic. Tatum studied Durant’s ball safety (the 100 turnovers Tatum dedicated in final season’s playoffs had been an NBA document), how KD makes use of his hips and shoulders to defend it from defenders and is ready to defend it as he finishes. Durant scrutinized Tatum’s hesitation dribble and side-step jumpers.
In the fitness center with different NBA gamers, together with Bulls guards Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, Tatum was intense. Post-Finals, says Hanlen, Tatum developed a surliness. “He has turn into obsessive about successful,” says Hanlen. In one-on-one video games. “Didn’t lose one all summer time,” says Hanlen. In five-on-five. During one session, Tatum’s group fell behind 0–2 in a better of seven. Before the begin of the third recreation, Tatum barked at his teammates that they wouldn’t lose one other. They didn’t. To enhance his burst on drives—Tatum was fouled on solely 9.8% of his drives final season, a quantity he’d like to tick up—he adjusted his posture, dropping his physique decrease when he confronted up. He shot tons of of floaters. He explored methods to higher struggle fatigue, tweaking his food regimen and rising his conditioning drills. He quizzed Durant, who is no stranger to a heavy workload, on his habits. “I’m nonetheless younger enough the place I really feel like I can be taught from loads of guys,” says the 24-year-old Tatum. “And he’s considered one of the greatest to ever do it.”
The situation: At the time the footage swept by social media, Durant had requested a commerce. The Nets had engaged a number of groups—together with Boston—in commerce talks. Brown, in accordance to The Athletic, had been mentioned in a swap. Talking heads, starved for summer time sports activities story strains, jumped on the Brown-for-Durant debate. In July, Tatum attended the premiere of NYC Point Gods, a Durant-produced documentary, the place he awkwardly answered questions about a Celtics shakeup. “I strive not to consider every little thing I see on TV as a result of I’ve seen issues about me that simply flat-out weren’t true,” Tatum says. “There are so many various rumors and tales that you just hear. You by no means precisely know what’s true, who’s leaking or what’s the agenda.”
Brown averaged 23.5 ppg in the Finals, then confirmed up in commerce talks.
John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated
In an interview, Brown declined to tackle the commerce rumors. His lone public response: a 3 letter tweet (smh) after news of the Celtics-Nets talks grew to become public. (Brown no-commented that one, too.) At media day, Brown deflected questions about his future. “I’ve talked to my teammates, possession, and so forth.,” he mentioned. “I preserve these conversations between us. I’m right here and prepared to play basketball. [I’m] in all probability [in] the greatest form of my life. I’m excited to begin the journey.” He has been on this place earlier than. In 2018, when Boston was rumored to be in the combine for Kawhi Leonard. In ’19, when the Celtics pursued Anthony Davis. Regardless of the success of the Tatum-Brown pairing—three convention finals in 5 seasons collectively, with one journey to the Finals—there are routinely tales about breaking them up.
Tatum admits that he questioned how Brown would react to the latest spherical of rumors. “It’s by no means straightforward,” says Tatum. The friendship, which started when the two had been youngsters, roommates at an Under Armour camp, has grown stronger. In 2017, when Boston was debating between Tatum and Josh Jackson in the draft, it was Brown, in a late-night telephone name to then GM Danny Ainge, who gave Tatum a push. Ask these in and round the Celtics about the relationship between the two, and the solutions are comparable. Great. Ask privately whether or not there is any friction, and the solutions are the identical. “Jayson brags about how good Jaylen is,” says Hanlen. “How there aren’t many gamers he would commerce straight up for him. Any narrative that they didn’t like one another, that they will’t win collectively is completely made up.”
In August, Stevens and Udoka traveled to Los Angeles to meet with Brown. Their message: We need you right here. And they got here away with the feeling that Brown wasn’t going to be fixated on no matter talks had occurred. In different phrases, he needed to be there, too.
In mid-September, throughout a break in a photograph shoot at Boston’s observe facility, Brown, Horford and Robert Williams III huddled. It had been three months since the season ended, and, save for just a few scattered exercises, this was the first time the core of the group had been again collectively. Quickly, the dialogue shifted to subsequent season. “Just about hitting the floor running,” says Williams. “Not having the identical begin that we had final 12 months. And letting folks know that what we did, it wasn’t a fluke.”
The Celtics are out to show their first Finals look in 12 years was no fluke.
Jeffrey A. Salter/Sports Illustrated
The lack of Udoka will sting. Udoka’s suspension surprised the gamers. “It’s been hell for us,” mentioned Smart. Added Brown, “We had been all shocked.” Mazzulla is thought-about a rising star in the teaching ranks. He was a finalist for the Jazz job final summer time and, beneath Udoka, performed a key function in defensive technique. “Joe’s been right here,” Smart mentioned. “He is aware of the scheme, he is aware of the gamers, so it makes it a bit simpler.” Still, his head teaching expertise totals two seasons at Division II Fairmont State. Steering an NBA title contender is a large problem. “I consider in Joe’s management,” mentioned Stevens. “I believe it’s going to be an unbelievable problem however I’m actually assured in the group and the teaching workers.” Said Tatum: “We’re going to have to assist him. And he’s going to have to assist us.”
On paper, Boston is loaded. Smart and Williams (who will miss the begin of the season after knee surgical procedure) anchor the NBA’s greatest protection. Tatum spearheads an offense that had the second-highest scoring margin (plus-7.3) final season. There is room for natural progress, with sharpshooting energy ahead Grant Williams and backup level guard Payton Pritchard, as well as to their stars simply approaching their primes. “We’re constructing this factor round the strengths of Jaylen and Jayson and anyone that accentuates these guys,” says Stevens. “We’re all the time on the lookout for the form of guys that may try this.” The offseason addition of level guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was acquired from Indiana, beefs up the bench. Brogdon has started the previous 4 seasons, however Stevens emphasised that Smart’s spot is safe. This summer time Smart studied film of Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, noting the changes Holiday made after being paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, and the affect Holiday was ready to make on each ends of the ground. “His entire factor was, ‘How do I assist them in no matter approach they wanted?’ ” says Smart. And Brogdon? “I used to be ecstatic we received him,” says Smart, who has an extended relationship with him. “It’s placing me with somebody I do know for a reality is going to make me higher. He is going to push me. And I’m going to push him.”
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The remainder of the returning Celtics don’t have to look far for motivation. Few issues mild a fireplace beneath a participant like shedding in the Finals. So Tatum brushes off compliments about Boston’s season. “It’s laborious to name it 12 months,” says Tatum, “if you f—ing lose a championship.” Horford calls final season “a step in the proper path.” Brown, requested how lengthy it took him to transfer previous the Finals defeat, says, “I’m nonetheless not previous it.”
To get previous it, sacrifice should be embraced, says Tatum. Boston, even after the potential season-ending damage to newly signed veteran ahead Danilo Gallinari, can declare considered one of the NBA’s deepest rosters. “Once we started sacrificing and being extra of a group final 12 months,” says Tatum, “that’s after we grew to become the greatest group in the league.”
But coming off the Finals, the Celtics received’t shock anyone. Which, unsurprisingly, fits them high-quality. In Atlanta, Horford hung out with Brogdon over the summer time. “Anytime we’re speaking, it’s nothing to do with offense or protection,” says Horford. “It’s actually, ‘What can I do?’ or, ‘How can I assist our group to put us in place to win?’ ”
A pair of championships at Florida taught Horford about approaching being the hunted, too. After Florida received in 2006, Gators coach Billy Donovan’s message was easy: They are coming for you. You come for them. “And we had been so pushed that 12 months,” says Horford. “That’s how this group has to be. We had an edge to us final 12 months. We want to preserve it.”
All the offseason questions have appeared to sharpen it. “Hell yeah, we have now received a chip on our shoulders,” says Robert Williams III. “It’s not even about proving it to different folks. It’s about staying true to ourselves. It’s about exhibiting your teammates, ‘We’re nonetheless right here. And we’ve received this.’ ”
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