Celtics’ Jayson Tatum gives his thoughts on NBA’s MVP race, hopes voters consider him despite unique Boston ‘dynamic’
“I won't have the points per game that the other three or four guys will … but I think the voters are smart enough to understand the dynamic of our team.”
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With NBA teams resuming regular season play fresh off of the league’s All-Star break, Most Valuable Player discussions among media and fans are heating up.
Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum’s name has been mentioned among other top NBA players such as the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, and the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Tatum referred to himself as the best player in the NBA in a recent interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, which helped spark MVP conversations.
He explained his thoughts on the MVP race and where he stands in that discussion after the Celtics’ win over the Bulls Thursday night.
“Those guys are putting up ridiculous numbers every night and doing a lot for their team. I have no problem with those guys being the leaders of the MVP race,” Tatum said. “I wasn’t saying that I needed to be first. I just had a problem with some people on TV saying that the reason why I won’t win this year is because of something that happened two years ago.”
Tatum, who’s referencing his poor performance against the Warriors in the NBA Finals in 2022 that led to Boston losing, is having a career season in 2023-24. He deserves to be in the MVP conversation and doesn’t want people to discount what he’s doing right now.
The Celtics’ leader, who turns 26 years old on March 3, is averaging a career-high 27.1 points per game. That’s good for ninth-best in the NBA entering Friday night.
Tatum’s 28.1 efficiency rating is good for 10th-highest in the league. His offensive impact, and the fact that he’s missed just three games this season, has helped lead the Celtics to an NBA-best 44-12 record.
However, Tatum acknowledged that given Boston’s talented roster, he isn’t always the highest scorer or the most influential player. He hopes voters will consider that following the regular season.
“I won’t have the points per game that the other three or four guys will,” Tatum said. “But I think the voters are smart enough to understand the dynamic of our team, essentially having to do less scoring maybe on certain nights, but still impact the game in a lot of ways to ensure that we win every single night, that we’re in first place, that we’re trying to be the best team, that everybody on the team feels valued, right?
“That’s it’s not just about me. Because I’m gonna need everybody down the stretch; we’re gonna need each other for what we’re trying to do, to try to win a championship.”
Tatum’s head coach, Joe Mazzulla, was asked whether or not he thinks the forward deserves to be MVP on Thursday. He gave a candid answer.
“Yes.”
Mazzulla elaborated, of course, and explained his hypothetical MVP vote.
“I mean, I think, one, defining what most valuable means. It’s not just about scoring. It’s the ability to have sustainable success, the ability to make people around you better, and the ability to be great.
“He’s done it for a long time and I think is underrated in that conversation, and it’s something that, I think he’s doing a great job of reshaping what it means to be the best player. And he does it every night. He does it differently. You’ve really got to watch the games and understand how he has an impact on himself and his teammates.”
With 26 games remaining in the regular season, the Celtics are focused on winning their first NBA Finals since 2008. However, Tatum’s path toward winning his first MVP Award is not lost on the team, either.
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