Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has set the bar very high for both himself and the team when he told Ronnie Singh his expectations for the upcoming season.
Jayson Tatum sat down for an interview with Ronnie Singh of 2K Sports last week and was asked about his expectations for his rating in the video game, NBA 2K20. Tatum said he wanted to get his rating up to a ninety overall before the end of the season. In addition, Tatum expressed how he felt disrespected when he found out his rating dropped from an eighty-seven in NBA 2K19 to a mere eighty-five in NBA 2k20 despite making improvements in each of the major statistical areas.
In the interview, Tatum discussed his expectations for the 2019-20 NBA season. These expectations included an All-Star selection, scoring at least twenty points per game, and the Celtics reaching the NBA finals.
Tatum made some bold predictions in his interview with 2K Sports, surprising many. The Boston Celtics are not expected to be title contenders this upcoming season after the departure of both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford. With the Eastern Conference getting tougher and the Celtics losing important pieces, Tatum still believes the Celtics have what it takes to be the beast of the east.
Tatum experienced what it was like to win in the playoffs during his first season in the league, leading the Celtics to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018 against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged close to twenty points per contest in these playoffs, without the help of All-Star teammate Kyrie Irving. Because of both the success of himself and the team in the 2018 playoffs without All-Stars Irving and Gordan Hayward (who is still on the team), Tatum believes Boston can still earn a spot in the NBA Finals. In addition to the success of the young players just a couple seasons ago, the Celtics were able to get good replacements for their lost players with signing of All-Star guard Kemba Walker and a solid center in Enes Kanter.
Photo via MassLive.com
While Tatum’s prediction of NBA Finals birth is not seen as realistic to experts, many do believe he has a real good chance of achieving his personal expectations. This is especially true after many talented players from his position are going to be playing in the Western Conference come the start of the 2019-20 season. Because of this, the young forward will be one of the best at his position, giving him a great opportunity at an All-Star selection. His point production will likely increase as well with both his improvement as a scorer and with the departure of ball dominant guard Kyrie Irving.
The current Celtics team is now hungry and ready to take on the role of the underdog to challenge the favorites for the Eastern Conference crown. Jayson Tatum will surely replace Irving as the star of the Celtics, and in doing so, will likely achieve his personal goals of being an All-Star and twenty point per game scorer.
Interview can be found at https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1153873299438481408
Cover Photo via ClutchPoints