All-Star media day is usually a light-hearted day consisting of jokes by media and players alike. Many treat this day as a chance to ask a different style of questions, allowing fans to know the players more as people. However, one of the few serious questions of the day prompted a surprising answer.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum surprised many by making a bold, yet deadly serious statement about who he believes would be the NBA Champion at the end of the season, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.
“We’re going to win the finals this year,” Tatum said, via ESPN. “February 16th, Jayson Tatum said we’re going to win the finals this year.”
While Tatum has every right (and should) to have confidence in his team’s abilities, the numbers do not seem to support the assertion. Despite entering the year as the Warriors’ top threat for a title, the Celtics have battled chemistry issues all season, and are currently sitting at fourth place in a tight Eastern Conference hierarchy.
While the Celtics did play a close game in the teams’ first matchup of the year, it is a tall order to dethrone the back to back defending champions, and the Celtics simply have not shown the consistency to do it. However, an impending matchup on March 5 might give us another indicator whether the Celtics are a threat to the throne.
