Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics season didn't have a fairy tale ending, but there are plenty of positives Boston can take away from their NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. Chief among them: The front office can trust their superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as true pillars of a championship team.

Before this year's trade deadline, it seemed like every time the Celtics stumbled, calls for the team to break up the Tatum-Brown duo grew louder. But sometimes—as the Golden State Warriors know—it's the moves you don't make that have a lasting impact.

The Celtics can rest easy this summer looking at the parallels to where they are now. Before Golden State started their dynasty, nobody in the Bay Area was even considering multiple championships. Instead, they were talking about trades.

In 2011, the Warriors discussed trading Curry and Thompson to the New Orleans Pelicans for Chris Paul. The deal broke down when Paul said he would not re-sign with the then-struggling Warriors when his contract was up.

Thompson was also the subject of a possible trade five years ago to Indiana for then-Pacers star Paul George confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that he was aware of the Pacers putting forth a trade for Thompson, which the Warriors reportedly declined. And in an interview with Draymond Green for The Draymond Green Show podcast, Curry revealed how he was supposed to be included in a multi-player deal to Milwaukee instead of Monta Ellis.

In the NBA, there's little patience for young superstar duos without a ring. But now, the Celtics have seemingly put to rest any doubt that Tatum and Brown can find success at the highest levels.

Most of the Celtics trade chatter had involved Brown, who has been in rumors with some of the biggest names in the NBA, such as George, Jimmy Butler, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, James Harden and Domantas Sabonis among others.

Marcus Smart, this year's Defensive Player of the Year, has been involved in his share of trade rumors, too.

But staying the course seemed like a good idea to Tatum and Brown, and evidently Boston's front office. Tatum said he and Brown have had conversations in the past about the speculation that one of them might be traded.

"We've had plenty of talks," Tatum said on the Old Man & the Three podcast in February. "We ask each other, "You want to be here? We're both like, 'Yeah.'"

After Tatum and Brown proved their core is built for a championship run, the trade chatter should be forbidden.

"I don't see them breaking up this core; not at all," Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams told Bleacher Report. "It's a young team and they're really, really good and already know how to win at the highest levels. You don't see players that young, leading teams this far, a lot in the NBA…this (Celtics) team is built to do some things, some great things for sure."

Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Indiana Pacers who also won an NBA title (1986) as a player with the Celtics, doesn't think it's a matter of personnel.

"They (Celtics) have great pieces," Carlisle told Bleacher Report. "Their getting back here every year is always about a mental disposition as much as anything. The questions are, 'Can you stay healthy?' and, 'Can you stay hungry?'"

Tatum and Brown are 24 and 25 years old, respectively, and considered by many to be among the NBA's best players (when the Warriors made their first 2015 title run, Curry and Thompson were 27 and 25 years old, respectively). Bleacher Report ranked the top 100 players prior to the start of the 2021-2022 season, with Tatum and Brown coming in at No. 11 and 26, respectively.

Tatum seems assured of beginning next season somewhere among the league's top-10 players. And the play of Brown will likely result in him moving up the charts as well into a likely top-20 player.

The Celtics also have a strong defensive foundation. Ime Udoka's arrival has ushered in an even more impactful brand of defense than the one initially built by Brad Stevens.

The Celtics' defensive rating during the regular season was a league-best 106.2, and their defensive rating in the playoffs of 106.3 is second only to the Milwaukee Bucks (102.7), who they defeated in the second round of the playoffs.

Even Golden State's Draymond Green sees this Celtics team being in the championship mix for a long time to come.

"I know a championship-caliber team when I see one," Green said during an interview with ESPN before the Finals. "A championship team has a guy who can go get a bucket, no matter what. They have that. They have great defenders. They have a great coach—young coach, but is showing that he can make adjustments and that he's ready for the moment. Like, they have the pieces."

Jayson Tatum looked nothing like the regular-season version of himself during his first NBA Finals appearance.

However you want to analyze it, he was one of the five to 10 best players in the league prior to his meltdown against the Golden State Warriors.

He made the All-NBA First Team and finished seventh in scoring. The Boston Celtics were plus-12.1 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor (the best net rating in the NBA). Advanced statistics from all over the internet adored him.

In the first three rounds of the 2022 postseason—when the Celtics swept the Brooklyn Nets, overcame Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, and beat the top-seeded Miami Heat as he averaged 27.0 points, 5.9 assists and 3.2 threes—he looked like that player.

Then, in the most important series of his life, Tatum seemingly forgot how to play inside the three-point line.

Among the 296 players in NBA history who attempted at least as many two-point shots in a Finals series, Tatum's 31.6 two-point percentage ranks 282nd. Each of the efforts below his on that list took place between 1947 and 1961.

With a chance to kick-start legacy conversations before his 25th birthday, Tatum instead found himself putting up pre-merger shooting numbers (at least from two-point range).

That wasn't his only issue. His 23 turnovers tie him for the 23rd-most recorded in a single Finals (and nine of the players ahead of him played in seven-gamers).

Only two players in league history matched or exceeded Tatum's totals for turnovers and missed shots (76) in a Finals (though his company there, LeBron James in 2015-16 and Kobe Bryant twice, might offer some hope).

In Game 6 alone, he looked overwhelmed.

Two series earlier, he'd scored 46 points in an elimination game against the Bucks. The next round, he had 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a Game 7 win over Miami.

But on Thursday, he went out with a whimper, scoring 13 points on 6-of-18 shooting, turning the ball over five times and looking scared to make a play in the second half.

Wow. Tatum passes up a wide open corner 3, drives, the crowd audibly yells "shoot it!" and he travels.

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 17, 2022

Forget measuring up to Stephen Curry. Tatum probably wasn't even on Andrew Wiggins' level. When he was defended by the 2014 No. 1 pick, Tatum shot 37.5 percent, and the Celtics scored a paltry 83.5 points per 100 possessions.

After building for months toward what could've been a "Dwyane Wade in 2006" type of early arrival, Tatum fell flat against Golden State.

We'll save the armchair psychoanalysis of the 24-year-old for some other space, but it is worth exploring why this happened.

Tatum was great against the defense of Wesley Matthews, P.J. Tucker, Jrue Holiday, Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler in earlier rounds this postseason. But the determination he showed in those matchups disappeared in the Finals.

Instead of trying to finish through contact (like Stanley Sugarman taught Bo Cruz to do), Tatum seemed more intent on exaggerating it. On countless drives, once he broke the paint and saw a body (or still had Wiggins in front of him), he just sort of threw his arms up. After he missed, he often shot a look of bewilderment toward officials.

Tatum and finishing at the rim this series has been very underwhelming to say the least man.

— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) June 17, 2022

Fixing that will probably take an attitude adjustment. Tatum is big enough and has the athleticism to deploy a stronger brand of finishing, but occasionally dialing it back would help too.

“[The] majority is over-penetrating, playing in the crowd, as I talk about quite often. Just not keeping it simple,” Boston coach Ime Udoka said of his team's turnover issues earlier in the Finals. “You look at Game 1 where we had 33 assists on 43 baskets, crisp and sharp with our ball movements, not in the crowd."

That same analysis applies to Tatum. He has a mid-range game he should trust when matchups demand it. Sure, it's probably smart to focus on getting free throws, layups and threes, but three-level scoring is exponentially more important in the heat of the postseason.

A more careful approach would help with the turnover issues too. Tatum often dribbled into a crowd, seemingly panicked and lost the ball.

On certain plays, maintaining his dribble would've helped. On others, fundamentals like a good old-fashioned triple-threat position and some patience may have given teammates more time to provide him a release valve.

As he gains more experience with being a primary playmaker (as he was throughout the postseason), he'll learn how to better read those situations.

Right. As he matures, he'll get a better feel for when to make plays for others and when to really look for his own. And hopefully coach can concoct an offensive scheme that puts him in better spots, so he's not dribbling 10 to 12 times and grinding the O to a halt https://t.co/8hvVFdN2Qv

— I Always Keep A Can Of Tuna On Me (@SnottieDrippen) June 17, 2022

He already is getting better. Prior to these playoffs, Tatum's regular-season career high for assists per game was 4.4. This postseason, he averaged 6.2. In Boston's Game 1 win over the Warriors, he had 13 dimes.

He doesn't need to be a LeBron-type point forward, but if defenses know he's willing and capable of finding teammates, he'll be more difficult to guard.

Shooting 45.5 percent from three in the Finals (and 39.3 percent for the playoffs) is no small thing either. A few more mid-range looks wouldn't hurt, but they shouldn't come at the expense of good shots from beyond the arc. From a macro level, the moneyballing of Tatum's game over the last few years has been a plus.

Now, it's about fine-tuning.

Once you ascend to the level Tatum did in 2021-22, identifying the next areas for improvement can feel nitpicky. But that's exactly what needs to happen.

He's only 24 years old, and he made it to the Finals while tying for fourth in playoff value over replacement player. Luka Doncic and Ja Morant are the only players in the top 10 of that list who are younger.

This was not a good series from Tatum, but it's also not indicative of who he is. Or, more importantly, who he can become.

Draymond Green showed respect to the Boston Celtics on his podcast after the Golden State Warriors clinched the NBA title on Thursday:

"You have to give them a lot of credit," Green said (26:20 mark). "That team ain't going nowhere. That team will be back. You better believe that team will be back."

The Celtics led the Warriors 2-1 early in the NBA Finals, but three straight wins helped Golden State claim its fourth championship in eight years. However, Green still believes Boston has a bright future.

"It wouldn't surprise me if we see this team sometime in the near future—when we're done—win a championship," the forward said (27:40). "They got it. They're not weak. They're not soft. They got scoring, they got the defense, they got the bigs."

Green said the only difference in the series was that the Celtics "ran out of gas."

The Celtics and their fans didn't exactly love Green during the series. The crowd directed some expletive-filled chants at the forward, while he had a few confrontations with players on the court.

The veteran still praised the team afterward, noting its young core and the work of big men Robert Williams III and Grant Williams.

Boston is set up well for the future with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both under 26 years old and under contract for at least two more years. Robert Williams and Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart also represent key parts of the core going forward.

After an impressive run through the Eastern Conference playoffs, featuring wins over the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, the Celtics are clearly a team to beat in 2022-23.

It appears Jayson Tatum won't need offseason shoulder surgery.

The Boston Celtics star told reporters after a 103-90 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals that he doesn't anticipate he'll need to undergo a procedure, noting he was struggling with a nerve issue through the latter half of the postseason.

Tatum suffered the shoulder injury in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat and was frequently seen grabbing his arm throughout the remainder of the series and into the NBA Finals.

At the time, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said the injury was just a stinger. Tatum also noted that his neck "got caught in a weird position" on the play that he suffered the injury, so it's unsurprising that it appears to be a nerve issue.

"Obviously, I went down. I felt some pain and discomfort in my neck and down my arm," Tatum told reporters after Game 3 of the ECF. "Went and got it checked on. I started to gain some feeling back, got it checked by the doctors and decided to give it a go."

Tatum undoubtedly struggled against the Warriors in the Finals, though it's unclear if the shoulder ailment played a role in his scoring inefficiencies or if the mental aspect was more of a factor.

The 24-year-old entered Thursday's Game 6 averaging 23.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists while shooting 37.3 percent from the floor and 47.5 percent from deep through the first five games of the series.

In Game 6, Tatum finished with just 13 points, three rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block on 6-of-18 shooting from the floor and 1-of-4 from deep. He also had five turnovers.

While Tatum may not need surgery, he'll get some much-needed rest this summer before returning to the court in pursuit of another Finals run in 2022-23.

The Boston Celtics came so close to winning their first NBA title since 2008, but they fell short in their quest for banner 18, falling to the Golden State Warriors 103-90 in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals on Thursday at TD Garden.

Aside from Game 1, the Celtics were largely outplayed by the Warriors throughout the series, and veteran center Al Horford told reporters after Thursday's loss that Golden State was "at a different level" in the finals.

Al Horford: "The Warriors were at a different level."

— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) June 17, 2022

Al Horford credits Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's growth throughout the season, but adds "as you can see, there's still a lot of growth and a lot of work for all of us."

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) June 17, 2022

Al Horford: "It wasn't meant for us this year...I feel like we can hold our heads high."

— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) June 17, 2022

With a fully healthy core group that includes Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and depth that includes Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and more, the Warriors were destined to capture their fourth title in the last eight seasons.

That said, the Celtics frequently beat themselves, with turnovers and scoring inconsistencies, highlighted by struggles from Jayson Tatum, leading to their demise.

This was the first NBA Finals that Boston's core group of Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart played in together. They have a lot to learn, but there's little doubt that the trio will lead the Celtics back to the finals in the near future.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka revealed the message he told his team after its 106-93 home loss in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors that cemented their fourth title in eight years.

"The future is bright and we're just getting started," Ime Udoka says.

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 17, 2022

Ime Udoka on message to the team after the game: "It will hurt for awhile. It will never go away."

— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) June 17, 2022

Ime Udoka says part of the message to his team was to let the pain of this loss propel this team forward. Said he thanked the team for its effort and work all season and to learn from all of this moving forward.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 17, 2022

It was a tough loss for the C's, who cruised to an early 14-2 lead. However, the Warriors responded with a 35-8 run and never looked back. Boston could not cut the lead closer than eight points after that stretch.

Thus, the Celtics' season ended with a bitter disappointment and without a chance to take the series in San Francisco on Sunday, but the window is open for more NBA Finals runs given the talent assembled on this team, led by Jayson Tatum.

The ex-Duke star struggled in this series, but he's just 24 years old and should be in the playoffs every year at minimum. He's part of a team filled with players making their first NBA Finals appearances, including Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Boston could very well be back in 2023.

Still, this one will sting, especially given the team's offensive performance.

Udoka also knows something about painful NBA Finals losses, as he was an assistant for the 2012-13 San Antonio Spurs, who battled the Miami Heat before losing a hard-fought seven-game series.

Credit to the first-year coach for piloting the C's to their first Eastern Conference title in 12 years, though, and now they'll hope to win the NBA championship in 2023.

The Golden State Warriors ran the Boston Celtics off their own court en route to a 103-90 win in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to clinch their seventh championship.

Boston led 14-2 early, but the Warriors responded with a 35-8 run capped by a 21-0 stretch for a 37-22 second-quarter lead. The C's cut the lead down to eight points on multiple occasions but could not come any closer.

Numerous factors led to Boston's ugly loss, but Celtics forward Jayson Tatum's continued struggles stood out. He scored just 13 points on 6-of-18 shooting with five turnovers to cap a 36.7 percent NBA Finals shooting performance. Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins notably played excellent defense on him in Game. 6.

Tatum, a member of the All-NBA First Team, is the primary reason why Boston made the Finals for the first time since 2010. The 24-year-old will undoubtedly be part of many playoff runs down the road as well.

This series simply wasn't his best effort, though, and analysts and fans on NBA Twitter pointed out Tatum's struggles.

Jayson Tatum has been fairly dreadful this series.

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) June 17, 2022

Tatum and finishing at the rim this series has been very underwhelming to say the least man.

— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) June 17, 2022

Wow. Tatum passes up a wide open corner 3, drives, the crowd audibly yells "shoot it!" and he travels.

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 17, 2022

Jayson Tatum is the first player in NBA history with 100 turnovers in a single postseason. pic.twitter.com/Jd7PKvYHCJ

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2022

https://twitter.com/DeVontaSmith_6/status/1537636577450549248

Andrew Wiggins has Jayson Tatum on punishment. Lockdown. No outside for you on a sunny day

— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) June 17, 2022

Andrew Wiggins with the clamps on Jayson Tatum again. What a series

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 17, 2022

If Tatum wants to really be Kobe he’s got to develop a post game. All the Celtics drive and shoot

— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) June 17, 2022

Let's just be honest, Jayson Tatum looked more like a #2 than a #1 all series against the Warriors.

Tatum is 24 so there's plenty of time to grow into his prime, and he took steps forward this postseason for the Celtics. But he's not that guy just yet.

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 17, 2022

It was an ugly ending to an otherwise sensational season for Tatum and the C's, who should contend for the NBA title again next year. For now, though, the Celtics' season is over after a brutal finish.

Isaiah Thomas has a warning for Robert Williams III: Be careful playing through injuries the Boston Celtics say can't get worse.

Heard that before lol https://t.co/oxOEWdvRyT

— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) June 16, 2022

Thomas famously played for the Celtics despite an injured hip during the 2016-17 season and aggravated the injury during the 2017 playoffs. The injury forever altered his career, with Thomas never returning to the All-NBA form he showed that season.

Playing through injury also likely cost Thomas tens of millions in future earnings, as the 2017-18 season was the final year of his contract. The Celtics traded Thomas to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017 offseason, and the two-time All-Star has subsequently bounced around to six different NBA teams and had a stint in the G League while undergoing several procedures to fix his ailing hip.

Williams suffered a torn meniscus in March and returned in less than a month to aid in the Celtics' postseason run. While the center has been effective while on the floor, the 24-year-old revealed he's dealt with consistent pain in the knee and had to have fluid drained from the knee on several occasions.

“I was really having my knee drained a lot last series,” Williams told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “I stopped draining it because there was no point, in my opinion. My knee kept filling back up with fluid. So, I’ve kind of learned how to manage it to be able to play.”

Williams is the Celtics' most important interior defender, and you can see the difference in their defensive intensity when the All-Defensive second-team selection is on the floor. Boston's defensive rating improves by 7.1 points per 100 possessions when Williams is on the floor during the playoffs.

Unlike Thomas, Williams at least has some sort of long-term security. He is in the first year of a four-year, $48 million extension that lasts through the 2025-26 season.