Joe Mazzulla’s Urgent Message To Jayson Tatum

The Boston Celtics dominated the NBA last year, and all that’s left for them to do is to do it again. Matching the excellence of the 2023-24 campaign will be difficult, but Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla believes his team can compete for another championship if they avoid complacency and focus on advancement.

While some will view the upcoming 2024-25 season as a title defense for Boston, Mazzulla told star forward Jayson Tatum and the rest of the Green Team that it’s more of a new challenge, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.

“[Mazzulla] had a great quote the other day. He said, we’re not defending anything. We’re chasing another championship,” Tatum revealed. “We enjoyed it all summer. We enjoyed it during training camp. 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. Last year was last year, we accomplished something special. We’ve got to figure out a way to get better.”

Improving won’t be easy for the Celtics given how spectacular their run to banner no. 18 was. During the regular season, the C’s were fifth in total rebounds per game, fourth in points per game, and third in blocks per game. They also averaged the fewest turnovers per outing and went a stellar 64-18, their best overall record in more than a decade.

“We wanted to approach the game with the same mindset, and we did an amazing job of that last year,” Tatum said. “Not to toot our own horn, but we were pretty good. We believed it.”

The postseason wasn’t any different. The Celtics posted a 16-3 record on the way to their first championship in 16 years. None of their series went longer than five games and nine of those 16 playoff wins were by 10 points or more.

How can Jayson Tatum and the Celtics get better in the new season?

Statistically, it’s hard for Mazzulla’s men to surpass what they did last season. Luckily, a similar performance should be enough for them to keep their championship window open.

However, individually, there are a few things Boston could work on.

First (and arguably foremost), Tatum has to find his 3-point shot again. The Celtics made more triples per game than any other team last season, yet the five-time All-Star’s 3-pointers were off the mark more often than not in the playoffs.

Tatum shot a career-low 28.3% from deep in the postseason after shooting a solid 37.6% from beyond the arc in the regular season. Even in the 2024 Olympics, he struggled to convert around the perimeter, missing all four of his 3-point attempts during the Summer Games.

This shooting slump shouldn’t detract from what Tatum’s achieved recently. He posted career-highs in regular season and playoff assists and led the Celtics in points, assists, and rebounds per game throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs. He’s just the sixth player in NBA history to accomplish such a feat en route to a title, with Larry Bird being the only other Celtic to ever do the same.

The 2024 NBA champion also entered rarified air after the Paris Olympics, becoming only the eighth player to win a ring and a gold medal in the same year. Celtics teammate Derrick White joined him in that elite club as well.

So, how does a two-time Olympic gold medalist fresh off a championship return even stronger? Staying hungry seems to be the first step, and Tatum has no shortage of motivation.

Plus, with a driven Mazzulla at the helm, the C’s will always be encouraged to grow rather than stagnate into a championship hangover.