Jayson Tatum

And-Ones: Griffin, Amazon, Coaches, Tatum, WNBA, J. Porter

November 1st, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of his retirement as a player, six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin is said to be drawing significant interest not from NBA teams but from the league’s new television partners. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Griffin is in talks with Amazon Prime Video about a role as an analyst on their NBA coverage, with NBC and ESPN also believed to be interested in the former Clippers star.

Amazon and NBC aren’t currently airing NBA games, but will begin to do so in 2025/26, when the league’s new media rights deal takes effect, and will need to fill out their broadcast teams with both game and studio analysts. One source suggests to McCarthy that Griffin, who has an engaging personality and tried his hand at stand-up comedy during his playing days, is a candidate to become “the face” of Amazon’s NBA coverage.

Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post recently reported that veteran play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle, who calls NBA games for TNT and YES Network, is in serious talks to join Amazon for its NBA coverage. Mike Tirico and Ian’s son Noah Eagle are expected to be the top two play-by-play broadcasters for NBC’s NBA coverage, per Glasspiegel.

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In an interesting story for The Associated Press, Tim Reynolds takes a closer look at the average shelf life for an NBA head coach, noting that 15 of the league’s 30 coaches are entering either their first, second, or third year with their respective clubs. “That’s a sobering reality of this profession,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the NBA’s second longest-tenured head coach. “It bums me out when I hear that stat because there are a lot of really talented coaches that if they had the same type of structure and continuity and belief from (their teams) … there could be a lot more coaches able to do what I’m able to do here (in Miami).”
Celtics star Jayson Tatum has informally agreed to join a bid to bring a WNBA franchise to his home city of St. Louis, reports Jacob Feldman of Sportico. Billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman are heading up the prospective ownership group, according to Feldman, who notes that NBA players are permitted to own up to a 4% stake in a WNBA franchise.
A second gambler has admitted to his role in the Jontay Porter betting scheme, pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, per an Associated Press report. The Pennsylvania man, Mahmud Mollah, will be sentenced on May 2 in federal court. A wide range of sentences are possible, from a no-jail punishment to 20 years in prison.

Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis Named Players Of The Week

October 28th, 2024 at 2:47pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum and Lakers star forward/center Anthony Davis were named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the stretch of Oct. 22-27, the league announced (Twitter link). Tatum was the Eastern Conference’s winner, while Davis claimed the Western Conference award.

Tatum helped the Celtics to a 3-0 start to the season, which included blowout wins over the Knicks and Wizards. In his first three games, Tatum averaged 33.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting a blistering 54.7% from the field and 48.6% from beyond the arc.

Davis has also shot the ball extremely well to open the year, connecting on a .571/.400/.800 line. He has helped the Lakers win against three playoff hopefuls this year, defeating the Timberwolves, Suns and Kings to remain undefeated. Davis is averaging 34.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals per game to open the year.

According to the league (Twitter link), the other nominees in the East were Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Atlanta’s Trae Young. Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, the Clippers’ James Harden and Ivica Zubac, and the Lakers’ LeBron James were nominated in the West.

Atlantic Notes: Bridges, Towns, Tatum, Thomas, Shead

October 23rd, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Neither of the Knicks‘ two major offseason acquisitions got off to the sort of start they were hoping for this season on Tuesday night in Boston.

While Mikal Bridges salvaged his night to some extent by making 7-of-8 shots for 16 points in the second half, he went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in the first two quarters, didn’t grab a single rebound in his 35 minutes on the court, and was a team-worst minus-33 in his Knicks debut, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Bridges also admitted he wasn’t at his best defensively against Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who poured in 37 points.

“I definitely could have done better. I think my performance at the defensive end wasn’t that (good) for me personally, as well as our team,” Bridges said. “Me personally, I think I just could have been better, especially (against) a guy getting it and having that rhythm from the three, just getting up a little bit more (on Tatum).”

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns had a relatively quiet night in his first game as a Knick, scoring 12 points and recording seven rebounds. The Celtics also frequently targeted him in screening actions, as Botte writes in a separate New York Post story. Like Bridges, Towns didn’t express concern about New York’s offense, but said the defense needs to be better.

“I just think that we just didn’t do enough defensively to give ourselves a chance to win the game,” the four-time All-Star said. “We’ve just gotta do a better job of executing on that end. Our defensive identity is what’s gonna give us a chance to do something great. Offensively, I think we showed tonight we can score, we’ve just gotta play defense.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Ahead of Tuesday’s regular season opener, Tatum spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about what it means to have won his first title and why he believes the Celtics are well positioned to win another championship.
None of the three Nets players eligible for rookie scale extensions signed a new contract before Monday’s deadline, but that was expected, since Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams have played limited roles in their first three NBA seasons and extending Cam Thomas would’ve eaten into Brooklyn’s projected 2025 cap room. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays, Thomas said on Tuesday he’s not bothered by not having completed a deal, while head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters he didn’t feel the need to discuss the guard’s contract situation with him. “Yeah, conversations have been great. I think he’s in a good place, and I didn’t see anything that I should go and talk to him about it, the way he feels,” Fernandez said. “I think he’s been great. He’s done his job, and we have a clear path and direction for what we’re trying to do.”
In an in-depth feature for Sportsnet.ca, Blake Murphy takes a closer look at what the Raptors are getting in Jamal Shead, a “high-IQ, high-motor” rookie guard who may have been overlooked this offseason as the third of four players selected by Toronto in the 2024 draft. “Jamal actually should have gone in the first round,” Kelvin Sampson, Shead’s former coach at Houston, said of the No. 45 pick. “There’s such an undervaluing of the things that he does well. … If you’re a coach, you want Jamal. All he does is win.”

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Scrubb, Walker, Davison

October 12th, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum was reluctant to go into specifics, but he admits he altered his shooting motion after struggling to make three-pointers during last season’s playoffs and the Summer Olympics, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Celtics star talked about “staying forward, keeping my shoulders forward” to get more power, but didn’t offer any further explanation. The changes seemed to work as he went 6-of-14 from beyond the arc in Boston’s preseason contests against Denver in Abu Dhabi.

“It was a couple of things,” Tatum responded when asked about his adjustments. “But I would just say the shot felt good. It felt good to be back on the court playing basketball again, being with the guys. We’ve still got a long road ahead but we had a good week out there and a good two preseason games.”

Tatum added that he’s very happy with his first seven NBA seasons, which have included five All-Star appearances, four All-NBA selections, an Eastern Conference Finals MVP, an All-Star MVP and a championship last season. He looked back on his training camp debut after the Celtics selected him with the third pick in the 2017 draft.

“Really just how different I am, how fast time has run by,” he said. “It makes me cherish these moments. I remember my first training camp in Rhode Island like it was yesterday. Now it’s Year 8. It’s made me reflect on all the things I’ve been able to accomplish since I’ve been with the team and in the NBA, made me kind of proud of myself, happy and hoping that these next eight years go by a little slower.”

There’s more from Boston:

Jay Scrubb was thrilled to return to the Celtics this week after missing all of last season with a torn ACL, Washburn adds. The 24-year-old guard was waived shortly after suffering the injury last October, but he remained in close contact with the team and was able to get another chance. With all three two-way slots already filled, Scrubb is likely to start the season with Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine. “It’s been a battle, I had a tough injury, had to bounce back but just work hard to get back to where I was at,” he said. “I pretty much knew this is where I wanted to be at. They took good care of me through my rehab process, so I felt like this would be the best place for me to come back.”
Lonnie Walker‘s decision to try to earn a roster spot in Boston on an Exhibit 10 contract was influenced by his longtime Celtics fandom and his connections with Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Walker and White were teammates in San Antonio, and he spent part of the offseason training with Holiday. “We just ended up working out together in the summer, kind of put in that grind, working. If it’s in the weight room or if it’s on the court,” Holiday said. “Just knowing the work ethic. He has the ability to do a lot of things. He’s very athletic and can score. I think being on a team like this, we can utilize his skill. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play here? … Very positive, very positive person. You see him. He’s always smiling. A very, very grateful dude. So really, really glad to have him here.”
Payton Pritchard can see improvement from JD Davison, who is entering his third straight season on a two-way contract, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Every year, as long as he keeps making a step, he’ll have a very successful career,” Pritchard said. “He has a really good head on his shoulders too, so I expect big things from him in the future.”

Celtics Notes: Training Camp, Scheierman, Tatum, Cassell

September 28th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are getting an early challenge from head coach Joe Mazzulla as they begin the defense of their NBA title, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston and Denver opened training camps this week in preparation for their games next Friday and Sunday in Abu Dhabi, and Jaylen Brown said the first practices have been intense.

“Training camp has been hard,” he said. “Training camp has been a lot of conditioning, a lot of defensive stuff, setting the tone on the defensive end, pushing ourselves. It’s been great. It’s exactly what we needed. We did not ease into training camp by no means. Joe Mazzulla is a psycho in a good way.”

It was a very short offseason for the Celtics, who closed out the NBA Finals a little more than three and a half months ago. It was even shorter for Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who were part of Team USA in the Summer Olympics. Despite the brief break, the players seem ready to get back to business.

“I think it’s very, very mental,” Holiday said. “Obviously that’s where most of the game can be won. Concentration, doing things while you’re tired, playing without passing, playing without scoring. How do you win the mental game, I feel like, is the biggest part – if you’re tired physically or mentally. Again, he’s just throwing everything at us.”

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics ordered Baylor Scheierman to add weight as he prepares for his first NBA season, Robb adds in a separate story. Scheierman reported to camp about 10-15 pounds heavier than he was in July. “I think from Summer League to now I spent a lot of time on my body, working on my body, trying to put on a lot of lean mass,” Scheierman said. “… Also just working on my shot, continuing to tune up things, try to get it off quicker.”
As Tatum predicted at media day, Mazzulla is hoping he’ll take extra motivation from not being named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals and then being benched for much of the Olympics, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet, because of how much he works and how he’s willing to grow,” Mazzulla said. “So I thought it was great that he has something to work toward. Sometimes when you get success you don’t have that next hunger right in front of you. Sometimes you’ve got to wait for it. Sometimes it’s a loss; sometimes it’s a losing streak. He was able to get that right in front of him.”
Assistant coach Sam Cassell has experience in defending an NBA championship, Himmelsbach adds. Cassell was part of the Rockets team that won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. “I can tell you no one here is talking about repeating or trying to defend anything,” Cassell said. “It’s just a new year and a new season. We just want to go win a championship every year.”

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Tillman, Kornet, Tatum, Brown, Horford

September 24th, 2024 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

After undergoing surgery in June to address a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg, Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis was ruled out for the start of the 2024/25 season, with an expectation that he’d be sidelined for at least five or six months. On Tuesday at the team’s media day, he offered an update on his recovery progress, telling reporters – including ESPN’s Tim Bontemps – that he’s “doing pretty good” and has increased his basketball activities ahead of training camp.

“Walking obviously with (no limp),” Porzingis said when asked about what he’s been able to do. “I’m running, I’m on the court, shooting normal. … I’m doing a lot of stuff honestly. I was already kind of with some live contact, doing some stuff and, yeah, it felt really good afterwards.”

Although Porzingis didn’t offer a specific target date or return timeline during his media day session, he recently told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that he’s aiming to make it back in December if his recovery continues to progress as planned. According to Shelburne, the Celtics are constantly evaluating his progress and will err on the side of caution when it comes to reinserting him into the lineup.

“I don’t know that we’re interested in putting a timeline on him because the injury is unique,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said on Tuesday, per Bontemps. “But as far as how he feels and the progress that he’s made, I’d say we’re very, very pleased with where he is, and maybe a little surprised.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Porzingis isn’t the only Celtics big man to have undergone surgery this offseason. According to Stevens, Xavier Tillman had a knee scope in July and Luke Kornet underwent a procedure on his wrist right after the season, but both players are recovered and good to go for camp, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Star forward Jayson Tatum joked on Tuesday that no one was happier than Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla that Tatum wasn’t named Finals MVP and then was held out of two Olympic games, since both experiences could provide added motivation heading into 2024/25, Weiss writes for The Athletic. Still, Tatum said he didn’t need any extra motivation and that he enjoyed his Olympic experience as a whole despite the “unique circumstance” of being benched for two games.
While Tatum downplayed his Olympic role (or lack thereof) as a source of motivation for the coming season, teammate Al Horford said he “personally was not happy about” Tatum’s sporadic minutes and Jaylen Brown‘s omission from the U.S. roster, according to Shelburne. “Those guys, they’re very special to me. And even though it was nothing against me, it motivated me and all of us for this season,” Horford said. “I know that they handled it well. They’re fine. But when you see those two guys, the amount of work that they’ve put in, the sacrifices they have made. To be on the top of their games and that happened to them, it was hard to watch (the Olympics) and not see them in the position that we would’ve hoped to see them in.” Brown, who expressed his displeasure in the summer after not being named to Team USA, added on Tuesday that he’s “extremely motivated” heading into the 2024/25 season “for obvious reasons.”
As Weiss relays, Tatum told reporters on Tuesday that he has been making some mechanical tweaks to his jump shot this offseason after struggling with it at the Olympics and in the 2024 postseason. “There (are) some things I could’ve fixed (earlier), but just in the midst of the playoffs trying to manage your rest and things like that, it’s a little tougher,” Tatum said. “I was still playing well, just wasn’t shooting the ball as well as I would have liked. And obviously, we were winning, so it wasn’t the time or place to try to fix things in that moment.”

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Horford, Center Options, Brown

September 21st, 2024 at 8:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum spoke about winning his first championship, the quest to repeat, and a few other topics during a recent public appearance to promote his new children’s book, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Celtics are preparing to open training camp in a few days, but the memories of the title run are still fresh in Tatum’s mind.

“We’ve gotten close a bunch of times,” he said. “We lost in the Finals. There’s a lot of people that doubted us, and I remember thinking about, ‘Man, when we win the championship, I can’t wait to tell everybody that doubted us, that had something to say.’ But you realize that moment that we won, when the confetti was falling and then the parade, it’s not about the people that doubted you. It’s about you guys, the guys that supported us along the way. Everybody that believed in us, and I can honestly say, the parade was the best two hours of my life.”

Tatum told the crowd, which was mostly made up of children and their parents, that his confidence level grew after the Nuggets were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. He had been expecting to face Denver in the NBA Finals and felt good about the Celtics’ chances against anyone else.

When Boston took a 3-0 lead over Dallas, Tatum admitted being so excited about having the chance to win a title that he couldn’t sleep. He said the team was “so anxious and so tight” prior to Game 4, which the Celtics lost in a blowout, but everyone was more relaxed when they returned home to wrap up the series in Game 5.

Tatum also discussed the challenges the Celtics will face as they enter the season as defending champs.

“(Coach) Joe Mazzulla, he had a great quote the other day,” Tatum said. “He said, we’re not defending anything. We’re chasing another championship. We enjoyed it all summer. … I can’t wait for opening night to get our rings and see the banner being raised. But honestly, after opening night, we have to put it behind us. It’s a new season.”

There’s more from Boston:

Al Horford has talked in the past about wanting to play until he’s 40, and that’s probably the best scenario for the Celtics, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Horford, who turned 38 in June, is entering the final year of his current contract. Boston is already operating under the second apron and would have limited options to replace him if he decides to retire next summer.
In the same piece, Robb states that if the Celtics suffer numerous injuries in their big-man rotation, they’ll likely consider internal options before trying to add a free agent. The team experimented with Tatum in the middle a little bit last season, and Mazzulla could go back to that if necessary. Robb also envisions smaller lineups in case of injuries with more three-guard sets and possibly regular minutes for Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh.
Jaylen Brown led a workout this week at Auerbach Center to prepare for training camp, according to Gio Rivera of NESN. Teammates who attended included Scheierman, Walsh, Horford and Xavier Tillman.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Mavs, Camp Questions, Maine Staff

September 13th, 2024 at 3:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on “The Tonight Show” to promote his children’s book, Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a few predictions about the upcoming season, as Max Molski of NBC Sports Boston relays. Notably, Tatum picked himself to win MVP, and said he thinks the Celtics will return to the NBA Finals again in 2025.

“It’s gonna be a rematch. We’re gonna play Dallas again,” Tatum said.

Boston claimed its 18th championship by defeating the Mavericks in the 2024 Finals. Jaylen Brown was voted Finals MVP.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

With an early training camp set to open in under two weeks, Jared Weiss of The Athletic lists five questions facing the defending champions entering 2024/25, including how Tatum and Brown will respond to some minor controversies with Team USA this summer. Weiss also wonders which young players will crack the rotation this season, with Jaden Springer and Baylor Scheierman looking like the top contenders entering camp.
Former Wizards player development coach Landon Tatum has joined Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Tatum had been with Washington since 2016, Scotto notes.
Tatum’s hiring was confirmed in a press release from the Maine Celtics announcing the team’s coaching staff for ’24/25. Tyler Lashbrook, who was a player development assistant on Joe Mazzulla‘s staff last season, has been named Maine’s head coach. “Tyler is a great coach who excels in relationship management and communication,” said Mazzulla. “Last season he led our late game situational prep and took the lead on developing some of our younger players. I am excited for Tyler to have this opportunity to grow as a coach and leader, and to impact the Maine team and community.” Assistant Steve Tchiengang has been promoted to Maine’s associate head coach, while Taaj Ridley is also back for a second season. Tatum and Brendan Baker are the team’s new assistants, per the release.

Tatum Ready To Move On After ‘Challenging’ Olympic Experience

August 29th, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jayson Tatum‘s benching became one of the big storylines during Team USA’s run to the gold medal in the Paris Olympics. The Celtics star didn’t see the court in the team’s opening game against Serbia. He did play in four of the other five games and says he’s not bitter over his modest role.

“I wasn’t moping around. I didn’t have an attitude. I wasn’t angry at the world,” Tatum told Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I stayed ready and did what was asked of me and I won a gold medal, right?”

The first-game benching was big news and Tatum was well aware of it.

“It was a lot. In the age of social media, you see everything,” Tatum said. “You see all the tweets and the people on the podcasts and people on TV giving their opinion on whether they thought it was a good decision or it was an outrageous decision or whatever. Obviously, I wanted to contribute more, and I’ve never been in (this) situation. I started playing basketball at (age) three at the YMCA, and I’ve never not played, so it was different and it was challenging.”

Tatum, who also won a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, averaged 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 17.7 minutes in his Olympic appearances this summer.

If there was a lingering issue to come out of his individual Olympic performances, it’s that his jump shot went AWOL. He shot 38.1% overall and missed all four of his 3-point tries.

Tatum also struggled from long range throughout the NBA playoffs, as he made only 39-of-138 three-point attempts (28.3%). He was still an offensive force while winning the first championship ring of his career, posting averages of 25.0 points and 6.3 assists in 19 playoff games.

He isn’t concerned that his shooting woes will carry into next season.

“I have two (gold medals) now, I have a championship, and everything doesn’t necessarily go the way you expect it to go, right?” Tatum said. “I’ve learned to be like, ‘OK, that’s a part of it.’ You move on, and I’m getting ready to enjoy the last little weeks I have before the season starts and get ready for another season.”

Tatum was one of several Celtics who received extensions after the season. He was rewarded with a five-year, super-max contract that will begin in 2025/26. He’s not going to rest on his laurels as Boston aims to become the first team since Golden State in 2017-18 to win back-to-back titles.

“I’m of the mindset that after ring night, in a weird way, we got to put that behind (us),” he said. “Last year was last year. We did it. It was a dream come true. We worked our (butt) off for it. But after ring night, we gotta move on. We gotta get ready for game two.”

Atlantic Notes: Knicks Storylines, Drummond, Tatum, Holiday

August 28th, 2024 at 5:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following a 50-32 season in 2023/24, the Knicks underwent a couple significant changes this summer, acquiring All-Defensive Team swingman Mikal Bridges and losing center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Ahead of training camp, Fred Katz of The Athletic reflects on some of the top storylines in New York, including All-Star forward Julius Randle‘s fit on the new-look squad, how All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson will quarterback the club’s offense, and more.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers reacquired reserve center Andre Drummond in free agency this summer. Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer spoke with Bulls beat reporter Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune about what to expect from the 6’11” big man, after he spent two years in the Windy City. Poe notes that Drummond, though a great rebounder, struggled to carve out a significant role behind starter Nikola Vucevic, in part due to his erratic rim protection and finishing efficiency.
Appearing at a Raising Cane’s event on Wednesday, Celtics combo guard Jrue Holiday discussed teammate Jayson Tatum‘s limited role for Team USA during the 2024 Olympics, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “I think everybody knows JT — he’s the ultimate professional,” Holiday said. “He already knows what it is and what the ultimate goal is. I don’t think he needed any encouragement. I think it’s more so like staying ready whenever it’s his time to be called.” The All-Defensive Second Team guard had a bigger, more consistent role in the Paris games than Tatum did. Tatum was benched entirely during the Americans’ semifinal game against Serbia.
In case you missed it, former Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony recently revealed that New York offered him a bench role when he last hit free agency, in 2022.

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