Could Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics actually win the NBA Finals this year? Well, a few fans certainly seem to think so after his recent performance in the 2023 NBA All-Star game. The Boston Celtics star not only managed to win the All-Star game MVP, but his team also currently holds the best record in the entire NBA.
Sometimes fans are superstitious, believing in omens and patterns. After all, a lot of fate and luck is involved in a team winning a coveted NBA title. That said, fans now feel that Tatum and the Celtics have a very strong chance of adding a championship to their resume this year. Let us take a look at what fans are basing this hypothesis on.
Can Jayson Tatum lead the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals again?
One could argue that Tatum’s play has been extremely underrated this season. Considering that he is averaging 30.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, a case could be made for winning the MVP award this season. After all, his team is in revenge mode after falling just a few games short of securing an NBA title last season.
Over the past two years, the star who shone brightest during the NBA All-Star game coincidentally ended up winning the championship that year. Giannis Antetokounmpo won the 2021 NBA All-Star game MVP and Stephen Curry won the award in 2022.
The last 2 seasons have seen players take home the All-Star game MVP and the NBA title in the same year.
🏆 Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021)
🏆 Steph Curry (2022)
🏆 To Be Determined (2023)Will this trend continue after tonight? pic.twitter.com/1IqOehZ2AE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 19, 2023
Since Jayson Tatum joined them this year by scoring an impressive 55 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, a few fans feel that this pattern will continue and that the Celtics will become 2023 NBA champions.
While this would certainly be a fairy tale type of prediction, it is quite difficult to say for certain that Boston will lift the cup this season. As we all know, the NBA playoffs are all about playstyles and the Celtics might not even make it out of the Eastern Conference if they face difficult opponents along the way.
All of that said, they still hold the 1st position in the Eastern Conference and are expected to continue doing so all the way to the end of the postseason. That gives them the most comfortable path to the NBA Finals. When we add the fact that Tatum just won the All-Star game MVP award this year, the Celtics should be considered serious title contenders for this season no matter what.