Boston Celtics: 3 bold predictions for the 2021-22 season
No. 1: Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown both finish in the top 10 in MVP voting
Considering the insane amount of talent the NBA currently possesses, this may seem like an absurd take. But if everything breaks right for the Celtics this season, it will be because of Tatum and Brown. As a result, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Tatum and Brown finish high on the MVP voting list when the season concludes.
For Tatum, it’s a lot more understandable. His overall game will most likely benefit much more from Udoka’s pass-heavy style of offense, rather than Stevens basically having Tatum run isolation plays for half of the game. Tatum has shown flashes of becoming an adept passer and rebounder, and if both of those aspects of his game show marked improvement, Tatum will easily finish the season a top 10 player in the league.
For Brown, it’s not as easy to see, but could end up happening. Brown took major strides as a scorer last season, and could be set to make similar jumps in rebounding and passing as Tatum. Not to mention, Brown is a better overall defender than Tatum, which could help his case over some of the other players in the league.
Listen, we said coming into this that these were going to be bold predictions, and outside of predicting the Celtics will win a title this season, this is about as bold as it gets. For this to happen, Tatum and Brown would have to establish themselves as the best young duo in the entire NBA.
It may be unrealistic in a sense, but it cannot be completely ruled out. The Celtics philosophy this entire offseason has been to make both these guys lives easier than they were last season. Tatum and Brown were both being keyed in on by opposing defenses, and still managed to make strides from where they previously were. With the added emphasis on helping them out, it’s not necessarily a wild take to say they continue to develop into bona-fide superstars.
dark. Next. Jayson Tatum's evolution to elite status
The rest of the team will have to perform obviously, but if the depth steps up in a way it didn’t last season, expect to see some marked improvements from both Tatum and Brown. They basically had to carry the entire load themselves last season, and with a bit more freedom, no one really knows how good they could be.
Well, no one except for me. A top 10 finish in MVP voting for both members of the best young duo in the NBA will help push the Boston Celtics back into title contention for this season and future ones to come.