Josh Richardson knows what it means to play for the Boston Celtics. The 10-year NBA veteran spent half a season with the franchise during the 2021-22 campaign, quickly becoming a fan favorite. He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the deal that landed Derrick White. That was the same season the Celtics made it to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors.
While Richardson wasn’t part of Boston’s postseason run during that campaign, he did get an up-close look at Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Therefore, he’s well-positioned to share his thoughts on how Tatum’s return to the rotation, after missing most of the season with an Achilles injury, will impact the team’s championship hopes.
During a recent appearance on the "Ball Knowledge Academy" podcast, Richardson explained why Tatum’s return means the Celtics have a good shot of coming out of the Eastern Conference and competing in the NBA Finals later this year.
"Even with 65 percent of Jayson Tatum that changes everything because he gives them size now that they didn't have, and JT is a superstar that competes," Richardson said. "From playing with him, like it's a lot of guys that just want to score and just kind of like loaf, but he really, like, he competes [on] both ends of the floor. He rebounds. He tries to play the right way, and there's a lot to be said about that, and so I think that if he gets up to speed, even close, it's going to change -- like the Celtics can come out [of] the East for sure."
Since returning to the Celtics rotation, Tatum has struggled when shooting the ball. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per night on 39.1% shooting from the field and 30.9% shooting from deep. However, he did produce a solid performance during the Celtics’ recent win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If Tatum continues to improve and the Celtics remain healthy, they should absolutely have a chance to reach the NBA Finals this season. Richardson has seen what Boston’s star duo is capable of, so he understands why the rest of the league has to sit up and take notice.
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