Celtics’ Jayson Tatum says this former MVP is ‘one of the best players of all time’
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Boston Celtics have won 14 of their opening 17 games. Joe Mazzulla’s team keeps finding ways to grind out wins despite some underwhelming performances. On Monday, they will face the LA Clippers, who, despite some injury issues, continue to have one of the best defenses in the NBA.
However, it would appear that Jayson Tatum is more concerned about the Clippers offense. When speaking to the media on Sunday, shortly after helping the Celtics defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tatum pinpointed the threat of James Harden.
“They’ve obviously got some guys out,” Tatum said. “They lost Paul George, and they have guys that are new to the team. And, they have guys with a bigger role and more freedom who are not necessarily looking over their shoulders… They’ve still got James Harden, who is one of the best players of all time. So, you know, he can go off or lead the team in assists on any given night. So that should be a fun one.â
Harden, 35, has been a driving force for the Clippers this season. He’s averaging 20.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists while shooting 36.7% from the field and 31.7% from three-point range.Â
Furthermore, Boston’s offense has sometimes struggled to contain dribble-drive penetration this season. Harden’s ability to create separation off the bounce and attack space will make him a significant threat to Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.Â
The Celtics should have no issue containing Harden. At 35, he no longer possesses the same first step that made him such an elite threat. He also doesn’t have the same lift on his jump shot, nor can he cycle through speeds at will. He plays a far more methodical brand of basketball, which should allow the Celtics to shut him down.Â
Still, NBA fans will appreciate Tatum paying homage to one of the greatest scorers of this generation. Harden is indeed a significant scoring threat on any given night. Understanding what he brings to the table is the first step in shutting him down.Â
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