Former Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins made a statement about the Cs on Monday that is sure to launch some heated debates across the NBA fan-verse.
Perk said on First Take that the Celtics don't need Jayson Tatum to reach the NBA Finals this season.
Kendrick Perkins says the Celtics don’t need Jayson Tatum to get to the Finals 😳
(🎥 @FirstTake )
pic.twitter.com/6LcvbzyeKH
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 23, 2026
Then again, was Perk's take really all that hot?
The Celts are 37-19 this season without JT and currently sitting second in the Eastern Conference.
It's not at all wild to suggest that Boston, as currently constructed, could defeat any of the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, or Cleveland Cavaliers in a playoff series.
This isn't at all meant to devalue Tatum's worth as a top-five player in the sports. More so, it's an acknowledgement that the current Celtics are a contender.
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