NBA Finals 2022: Marcus Smart praises Boston Celtics star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Ahead of Game 5 of the NBA 2022 Finals, Marcus Smart praised teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for their maturity in leading the Boston Celtics to new heights.
FollowNBA 2022 Defensive Player of the year Marcus Smart credited Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s maturity and selflessness as a key to the Boston Celtics’ successful season. Along with Smart, Tatum, 23, and Brown, 25, made the Playoffs in every season of their respective careers. However, The furthest the trio had gone before this season was the Conference Finals in 2018 and 2020. Earlier this calendar year, that seemed to be the ceiling for the trio as the Celtics struggled to begin the year. However, a late-season turnaround saw the Celtics become the second seed in the East before winning the Conference in the Playoffs.
Smart heaped praise on Tatum and Brown for the Celtics’ turnaround this season, as he said, “I’ll probably have to say I think everyone will agree with it, is the selflessness they matured to have. You know, early on, as young guys, it’s not just them, it’s any young guys, you’re trying to make a name for yourself, you’re trying to prove what you got, and that doesn’t always lineup to what the team is trying to do or helping a team. For us, you know, it was understanding that if we win, everybody wins. And, I think, this year, in particular more than note, we understood that we matured in that aspect.”
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Smart has not been afraid to call out the two players’ performance when the Celtics have not played well. After a fourth-quarter collapse against Chicago Cubs earlier in the season, Smart said, “Every team knows we’re trying to go to Jayson and Jaylen. Every team is programmed and studied to stop Jayson and Jaylen. I think everybody’s scouting report is to make those guys pass the ball. They don’t want to pass the ball.”
Both Tatum and Brown have made a noticeable improvement in their passing, and going by Marcus Smart’s recent comments. Their leadership seems to be another growing strength.
