Jayson Tatum (R) of the Boston Celtics guards Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers in the game at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, March 8, 2023. /CFP
The Boston Celtics will begin their 2023-24 preseason tour on Sunday by playing the Philadelphia 76ers. The team has made two major moves during the offseason of trading for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to improve their lineup and make another run for the NBA championship.
As the Celtics' ace, Jayson Tatum believes that the arrivals of the two can be of great help to the team.
"I'm extremely happy to have him (Holiday)," Tatum said in an interview with Bleacher Report. "Jrue's one of the most well-respected guys in this league. He's a champion. We won a gold medal together two summers ago. So, I know him pretty well and know he is a hell of a player, a hell of a teammate."
Jrue Holiday (L) of the Milwaukee Bucks guards Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics in the game at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, December 25, 2022. /CFP
Like CGTN analyzed previously, Holiday can be seen as a combination of Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon - both of whom left the team - thanks to his comprehensive skills on both offense and defense. As a three-time All-Defensive First Team guard, Holiday can contain most back-court players without too much help and is able to switch up to guard some forwards. He is also a trustworthy playmaker in a champion team.
Porzingis arrived at the Celtics earlier than Holiday. As a typical unicorn with a 2.21-meter height and the 3-point shooting ability that generates 2.1 triples at 38.5 percent per game last season, he will play an integral role on both ends of the game for the team, if he stays healthy.
"I haven't had a teammate like him thus far," Tatum told Bleacher Report. "I haven't had a low-post presence that is that versatile and can score with the best of them. He brings a different dynamic. There's a lot of time and a lot of basketball to be played. Nobody is exactly sure how they're going to look right now. We got to still roll the ball out on the court and get it on."
Jayson Tatum (R) of the Boston Celtics blocks a shot by Kristaps Porzingis of the Washington Wizards in the game at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., March 28, 2023. /CFP
The top competitions in the Eastern Conference will grow nothing but more fierce in the 2023-24 season, especially after the Milwaukee Bucks landed Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers in a blockbuster deal.
"I was surprised," Tatum said. "You saw the Dame trade talks all summer, and I never saw Milwaukee in that conversation. I never heard about them [being interested]. So, opening up my phone and seeing that definitely shocked me."
The 25-year-old, back-to-back All-NBA First Team forward admitted that it will be a challenge to face the Bucks in the new season. The two teams met three times in the playoffs since Tatum entered the league in 2017.
"They're going to have a hell of a team. There's no way around that," Tatum said. "They have two of the best players in this league at two of those prime-time positions. They're going to be tough, but it's gonna be fun. I'm looking forward to this season. It's a lot of really, really good teams in the league and it's going be some good basketball this season."