After a clean sweep of the Indiana Pacers, Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics must now focus on their finals match-up against the Dallas Mavericks. The much-anticipated game one between the two teams begins on June 6th.
There are plenty of storylines circulating around this year’s NBA Finals matchup. We have Kyrie Irving returning to Boston after their fallout. Kristaps Porzingis returns to Dallas after being traded to the Washington Wizards several years ago. Luka Doncic could potentially win his first ring. But people have mostly been talking about the tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown going into the finals. And Joe Mazzulla had enough.
Joe Mazzulla Gives Passionate Take On Brown & Tatum Narrative
With a long basketball break from now to the finals, several media platforms have spun narratives on the tandem of Tatum and Brown. ESPN’s Get Up believed that Jayson Tatum wasn’t happy that Jaylen Brown won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy. Yet, in their celebration, Tatum smiled and displayed happiness. However, Tatum led the Celtics team in points, assists, and rebounds in that series.
Joe Mazzulla spoke on the criticisms of the duo by stating that it’s unfair that they’re getting those criticisms from the media. He went on to tell the media,
I think it’s stupid that people have to use those two guys’ names and use information they don’t know to create clickbait to stay relevant.
Joe Mazzulla Thinks Highly Of Tatum & Brown
During media talks, coach Mazzulla gave praise to his All-Star duo and said:
Their relationship is their relationship. They love each other. They push each other every single day at practice. They communicate with each other, but they go about winning differently… It’s been an honor to coach both of them. [The criticisms they get], it’s bull—-. I love both of them, and they deserve better.
Joe Mazzulla also stated that other duos in the NBA do not get the same criticisms due to their respective successes in the past few seasons.
What’s The X-Factor In The NBA Finals?
Tatum and Brown both pose major threats to the Mavericks’ small and power forwards. They’re more experienced in the playoffs and have been playing at All-Star levels for the past five years.
However, Kyrie and Luka have sliced through defenses like decayed wood. They powered through the league’s number-one defense in five games to go to the finals. Yet, they have to face two guards who received All-Defense honors: Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.
The X-Factor for Boston will be the return of Porzingis. Al Horford has been a solid replacement in the NBA Playoffs for Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics. It’ll be interesting to see if Porzingis’s return impacts Boston in a positive or negative way. They have the size advantage against Dallas.
For More Sports Content
If you want to keep reading relevant sports content about Mixed Martial Arts, WWE, football, and the NBA, look for articles by Justin, who is passionate about these sports. Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
About The Author
Justin is a writer and poet with nine years of professional experience covering sports, health topics, hip-hop events, and community matters. He’s a Richmond, Virginia native now based in Southern California. He has published two books under the pen name Jay Guevara and can be found on all social media @justinhisprime
