As Celtics inch closer to glory, Jayson Tatum’s maturity is a big reason why

After the Celtics’ Game 2 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Joe Mazzulla faced the media, with the first question predictably about his superstar, Jayson Tatum.

Mazzulla paused before redirecting the conversation.

“Before that, I think the play of the game can’t go unnoticed, the humility of our team, is Payton’s shot at the end of the [third] quarter. You see guys around the league pass up on that shot or fake like they want to take it, so that their numbers don’t get messed up. He takes pride in taking that, and that’s winning basketball. So that’s the first and foremost,” Mazzulla said.

“That should have been the first question, is the ability of everybody on our team to do different things that lead to winning. I’m really tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everybody trying to make it out to be anything other than Celtic basketball. Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor, is the most important thing.”

There are plenty of discussion points from Game 2. As Mazzulla mentioned, Pritchard’s shot, the overall team performance, another stifling defensive effort, or Jrue Holiday and Derrick White stepping up big. However, whatever talk show you tune into on Monday morning likely won’t be dissecting Pritchard’s big shot or the stifling defense. Instead, the attention will be centered around Tatum and another lackluster shooting performance, as has been the case for most of the postseason.

It’s not pretty, and Tatum will be the first to admit it. He didn’t gloss over the fact that he shot 6-of-22 (27.3%) from the field and 1-of-7 (14.3%) from deep in Game 2.

“I need to shoot better,” Tatum said postgame. “Golly!”

In the past, the Celtics would have needed Tatum to deliver monster-scoring nights consistently. However, this version of the Celtics is different. They have so many talented players capable of scoring that they don’t need Tatum to be the primary scorer every night. It’s okay for him to defer and impact the game in other ways, simply making the right plays, not forcing anything, and contributing to winning – and he knows that.

“I can be the guy rebounding and getting assists and drawing attention, right? I’m going to have the ball in certain spots, right? I draw so much attention. I’m not always going to be the guy to get the shot, but sometimes sacrificing, being in those spots to make the play that we get the best shot possible, knowing that what they want to take away in their schemes and things like that,” Tatum said.

“So being the guy in different ways. Maybe you don’t score all the points, but you do all the things that put your guys in the best position to win.”

It’s no secret that Tatum can score. He is just 60 points shy of surpassing his idol, the late Kobe Bryant, for the most playoff points scored before turning 27, with LeBron James trailing behind him. His scoring prowess is well-documented. He doesn’t need to stuff the stat sheet with points every night at this point in his career. Instead, he focuses on making the right plays to help his team win as a playmaker.

“It has a lot to do with that I’ve been here before, and we didn’t win, and it’s just like, we’re so close to what we’re trying to accomplish, why would I let my ego or my need to score all the points gets in the way of that?” Tatum said postgame.

“We always talk about doing whatever it takes for however long it takes. If I need to have 16 potential assists every single night, and that’s what puts us in the best position to win, and it doesn’t mean I’m the leading scorer, by all means, if that gives us the best chance to win, sign me up.”

Tatum has followed that approach for most of the postseason, and Game 2 was no different.

The five-time All-Star finished just shy of a triple-double with 16 points, a game-high 12 assists (tying his postseason career-high), and nine boards while also coming up with big plays on the defensive end. It marked Tatum’s 13th double-double of the postseason, with the Celtics advancing to 13-0 in such games.

“I thought Jayson was unbelievable. Just navigating everything, getting everybody involved, taking shots when he needed to, defensively being solid, rebounding the ball well,” Al Horford said.

“JT is just doing it all. We’re asking a lot from him, and he continues to step up and answer the call for us.”

Tatum’s willingness to work as a facilitator and not feel like he needs to be the primary scorer every night is commendable. On this stage, with a player like Luka Doncic on the other side, Tatum’s selflessness deserves recognition. It’s not easy for a 26-year-old NBA superstar to put the ego aside in such situations.

“Where he’s grown over the last two years is to take what the defenses give him and learn to impact the game in many different ways,” Mazzulla said postgame. “Because of the type of team that we’ve had, especially this year, he’s seen a bunch of different coverages and he’s seen different matchups because teams have to match up with him. So coming into a game, it’s kind of similar to a puzzle, and he’s done a great job learning how to solve the puzzle and do different things.”

Sure, the shooting can improve, but the Celtics are two games away from accomplishing their goal and raising Banner 18 – and Tatum’s maturity is a big reason why.

That type of mentality, that willingness to defer and impact the game in different ways, with a sole focus on winning, is exactly what you want from a young superstar who is the cornerstone of your franchise. That type of maturity sets the temperature for the rest of the team.

“Jayson makes greatness look easy,” Mazzulla said.

“He does it in a lot of different ways. He does it on defense, he does it on rebounding, he does it on passing, he does it on screening. He’s a tremendous player, and it’s not hard to coach him. When he has the ability to affect the game in different ways, we’re a different team.”

In the NBA, greatness is defined by winning. And right now, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who impacts winning more than Tatum, as evidenced by his postseason-best +162 plus-minus.

Despite the criticism Tatum has faced this postseason, he’s been instrumental in Boston’s success. He’s more than just a scorer; he’s a game-changer who opens up opportunities for others and affects winning in various ways every night.