Jayson Tatum left no man behind while discussing which Boston Celtics teammates he believes are in the right place in their careers to come together and help the 2023-24 squad get over the hump — and that includes a former champion who played for one of the C’s biggest conference rivals the past few years; and this one.
“Experience is the best teacher, right? The last few years being that close and not getting over the hump obviously was extremely tough,” Tatum said during the March 26 edition of NBA on TNT Tuesday night (h/t Boston.com). “And I think everybody on our team is in a perfect place in their career. We’ve all accomplished individual things, everybody’s gotten paid, and the last thing for most of us — except for Jrue Holiday — is we all trying to get over that hump.
“And I think we have the right group, the right mindset to do those things. Obviously, we still have to do it, stay healthy and continue to play the right way. But our mindset is where it needs to be.”
Boston Celtics must win one for Al Horford before he retires
One player who is perhaps past his prime but still a valuable contributor deserving of his first championship is Al Horford; who made a huge sacrifice in the offseason by agreeing to a sixth man role in pursuit of Banner 18.
Horford will be 38 by the time the 2024 NBA Finals roll around and he has one year left on his contract after this season concludes. It’s possible that there is only a year or two left in Horford’s illustrious career, and it’s also possible that he won’t try to find a new home considering he’s spent most of his career with two teams (Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics) and had his worst years elsewhere.
The Celtics owe it to Horford to make that franchise-defining — at least in the not-so-roarin’ twenties — postseason run and break the glass ceiling before it’s all said and done for his career.
Even if it seems like he’s got many good years left in him.
