Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown
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Despite rumors of tension between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Derrick White knows they are both on the same page
The Boston Celtics received some big news on Thursday, as reports indicate that Jayson Tatum is set to make his season debut on Friday when the team squares off against the Dallas Mavericks. This is huge news for the team as a whole, but it’s clear that the two players who will be impacted most by Tatum’s impending return are Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
With Tatum out, both Brown and White have had to shoulder a bigger load on offense. In the process, Brown has turned in an MVP-caliber campaign, which has led many folks to wonder about how these two will work together now that Brown has proven he can lead an offense on his own. And yet, while this chatter continues to dominate headlines, White revealed that none of it registers on Tatum or Brown’s radar.
Derrick White Opens Up on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown
White Noise Podcast w/Derrick White
Derrick says JB and Tatum do a great job of tuning out the media and that their success speaks for itself 💯
“Most of those young duos are just both getting numbers but they’re not winning… JB & JT never really had that, they were always making conference finals.”
Throughout their time together in Boston, Tatum and Brown have constantly faced rumors about their relationship. Early in their careers, when the C’s struggled to get over the hump, many folks suggested that this duo needed to be traded. When the Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals, though, everyone’s tune on this subject quickly changed.
Now, though, there’s a new problem with this duo, and it’s a good problem to have. Brown has played so well this season (28.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 5 APG, 48 FG%) that he has established himself as the leader of this year’s Celtics team. While Tatum’s return is obviously going to be a welcome sight, it’s clear that things are going to be different when he gets back on the floor.
That has led the usual naysayers to believe that this change of guard will create issues between Boston’s two superstar wings. However, having watched these guys grow together over the past few years, White knows that’s not the case, and he revealed he isn’t concerned about this narrative, largely because Tatum and Brown are paying it no mind.
“Now it’s like, ‘Who’s team is it? Who’s 1A?'” White said on his “White Noise Podcast.” “They do a good job of not listening to it. I think, obviously, there’s times where it’s annoying for them. For me, it doesn’t really bother me none. As long as we win, I don’t care who 1A and 1B is.”
What Will Jayson Tatum’s Role Look Like with the Celtics?
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 07: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after Derrick White #9 hit a three point shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden on May 07, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Coming back from an injury as serious as a torn Achilles tendon is never easy, so you can bet the C’s are going to be cautious with Tatum as he gets thrown back into the action. He likely won’t be starting games right away, and chances are he will be on a tight minutes restriction as he works on getting back up to speed.
Once he gets his feet under him, though, Tatum and Brown are going to have to learn how to coexist in this new world, where both guys have proven that they can lead the offense on any given night. It will be a new challenge for this duo, but as White has seen firsthand, they have overcome every obstacle they have faced to this point, so who’s to say they won’t be able to do so once again?