Welcome to Media Day: our guide to Celtics narratives

The team members don’t care what people say about them, so we’ll do it for them.

In four weeks, the Boston Celtics will once again raise a championship banner to the rafters of the Garden. It’s been a long 16 years since the last one. Fans of other teams and some media people had a narrative that Banner 18 would never happen. They took great pleasure in trolling the Celtics for missing out year after year.

But last season, the Celtics proved them wrong with a scorching regular season (64-18) and postseason (16-3), prompting Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to ask, “what are they gonna say now?”

Plenty, as it turns out. Critics move the goalposts so quickly, it’s as if they’ve been put on wheels. There’s a segment of NBA Twitter and sports talkers across all media platforms that have downright refused to give the Celtics credit for their victory. For example, these random tweets were about the Jays – and these were after they won the Finals.

Granted, narratives are all just talk. As one of the most popular and visible franchises in sports, the Celtics attract more than their share of slander. The problem is, as Oliver Fox wrote during the Olympics, narratives drain all the fun from watching your team.

Also, narratives are almost always negative, typically tearing down one player or team in order to build up another player or team. That approach grows louder when people online or on TV are willing to say anything, whether it’s true or not. It spoils the fan experience.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla would say “nobody cares” about narratives, so CelticsBlog will do the caring for them. Facts matter and sometimes nonsense must be refuted. Usually, it’s best to ignore this stuff, but not today. We are pushing back on the negativity. Here’s a summary (grouped by topics) of the most-repeated narratives, with our counterpoints.

About winning

The Celtics need to prove themselves by winning a title.

This was the central narrative that hung over the Celtics for the past few seasons. It got louder after Boston let a 2-1 lead slip away and lost the 2022 Finals to the Warriors. After acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the team posted a regular season 11.7 net rating (fourth highest in league history) and went 12-2 in the first three playoff rounds – only to see Dallas being picked by many alleged experts to win the Finals.

Narrative evaluation: When the new season begins, this narrative should fade away – until the 2025 postseason.

Celtics had the easiest path ever to a title.

After Boston won the Finals, haters complained that the first-seed had the benefit of playing lower seeds. Well, duh, that’s why you go for the top seed. It wasn’t the Celtics’ fault that the no. 2 Knicks and no. 3 Bucks were upset before the Eastern Conference Finals.

We also don’t recall any problem with Denver winning the 2023 title by beating these seeds: 8th, 4th, 7th and 8th.

Narrative evaluation: Should also fade away with the new season.

All their opponents were injured.

It’s true that players like Jimmy Butler and Donovan Mitchell were hurt, but the Celtics could only play who was in front of them. Luka was reportedly injured, but missed no time. Meanwhile, almost everyone ignored that Kristaps Porzingis missed 12 of 19 playoff games.

Funny, in 2019 the Raptors were not faulted for winning the Finals when Warriors Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson went down. Neither were the Bucks held accountable when they needed seven games in 2021 to beat Brooklyn, which was without both Kyrie Irving and James Harden for three games.

Narrative evaluation: Will persist at least until the next playoffs.

Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Celtics shoot too many threes.

Everyone knows the game has changed. In the 2014-15 season, the league average was 21.5 three-point attempts per team per game. The Warriors won the championship while averaging a league-high 27.0 3PA (about 25% above average), making a league-leading 39.8%. They were glorified, not criticized, for their style of play.

This past season, the league average was 35.1 3PA. The Celtics won the championship while taking a league-leading 42.5 threes per game (21% above average). They made 38.8% (second in the league by a whisker to the Thunder at 38.9%). The Celtics didn’t take too many threes. They just followed the Golden State model in proportion to today’s league trends.

Narrative evaluation: You can’t argue with success. Critics need to let it go.

Superteam or not?

Celtics are a superteam and they don’t have a top-10 player or coach.

These have to be addressed together. Wikipedia defines a “superteam” as one formed by trades or free agent signings in a short period of time to create a roster with three or more Hall of Fame, All-NBA, or perennial All-Star players. Currently, only Tatum fits that description, with three consecutive All-NBA First Teams and five straight All-Star selections. This past season, only Derrick White and Jrue Holiday received any other league honors (both All-Defense). Mazzulla did not win Coach of the Year. And critics of Tatum insist he’s not one of the NBA’s best players.

So far, we haven’t seen an explanation of how you can have a superteam without any highly revered players or coaches.

Narrative evaluation: Illogical, but won’t fade away while the Celtics are winning.

Celtics should’ve won a title sooner with the Jays.

Jaylen Brown was drafted in 2017 and Tatum in 2018. They become champions in their seventh season together at ages 27 and 26, respectively. They were held to a different standard than these stars who are widely considered better than the Jays (listed with ages at their first title): Giannis Antetokounmpo, 26; Lebron James and Steph Curry, 27; Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, Nicola Jokic, and Shaquille O’Neal, 28; and Dirk Nowitzki, 32.

How about some stars who’ve never won? James Harden, Chris Paul, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler, all ringless and older than the Jays.

Narrative evaluation: They’ve won. It’s done.

Hating Jayson Tatum

Preface: “Aura” is the current buzzword, and for an in-depth look at Tatum’s aura, we refer you to Michael Spooner’s great piece about it. However, we will note that Tatum is being treated like Paul Pierce, who was ultra-clutch throughout his career, but is clowned by today’s fans who only know him for his hot takes. Or maybe they do know that Pierce beat LeBron twice and Kobe once in playoff series, and they hold it against him. In any case, Tatum is by far the biggest target of narratives.

What’s truly weird is that online and in NBA media, Tatum is regularly called corny and overrated, and is scrutinized relentlessly.

He’s even criticized just because he’s on a talented team.

Conversely, in real life, Tatum is on the cover of the NBA 2K video game, has his own line of basketball shoes, is a spokesperson for a bank and for voter registration, and has written a children’s book. His face appears on potato chip bags. He must be popular and well-liked or he would not be in the spotlight at that level. But it’s different in the world of NBA commentary, because we have these narratives…

Tatum is not a clutch player.

Hmm.

• In his rookie year, Tatum faced LeBron in a Game 7, scored a team-high 24 points (9 in the fourth quarter) on 9-17 shooting, and dunked in the King’s face in the final moments.
• In 2022, he beat Brooklyn at the buzzer of Game 1 of the postseason, and destroyed the Bucks with 46 points in a must-win Game 6 of the East semifinals.
• In 2023, he saved the season with 16 fourth-quarter points in a Game 6 comeback at Philadelphia (highlights below), then set a Game 7 league record with 51 points.
• In 2024, he led the Celtics in postseason points, rebounds and assists, averaging 25.0/9.7/6.3.

To look at that resume and claim Tatum isn’t clutch is to deny reality.

Narrative evaluation: It will go away if Tatum drops 40 on efficient shooting in a Finals game.

Tatum was carried to a title by his superteam, didn’t win Finals MVP, and was outplayed by Luka Doncic.

In the 2024 Finals, Tatum shot threes poorly at 28.3%, yet again led the Celtics in points, rebounds and assists (22.2/7.8/7.2). The only others to accomplish that while winning the Larry O’Brien trophy: Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic. No one said those guys were carried. Tatum also piled up a series-high 36 assists (Luka at point guard trailed with 28 assists) and scored 31 twice (Games 3 and 5).

His championship-clinching performance could have earned Tatum the FMVP, but Brown won the vote with his overall defense on Luka and his 30/8/8 performance when Boston grabbed game 3 to take a 3-0 lead. Since Tatum lacks the FMVP, that’s now a narrative used against him: “If he’s so great, why couldn’t he win the award?”

Well, do the critics know who else didn’t win FMVP immediately? Here’s three: Bird, who won on his second try; LeBron, on his third try; and Curry, on his fifth try.

As for Luka, he led both teams in scoring, rebounding … and turnovers. He shot poorly from the free throw line (58.6%) and the arc (24.4%) and had a streak of 20 straight misses from downtown spanning games 3-5. In fourth quarters of the four losses, Luka averaged just 4.5 points on 33.3% shooting.

Narrative evaluation: Despite the evidence, Luka stans drive these three claims, and they are persistent. Again, Tatum can kill this narrative if he simply shoots better next time.

Tatum padded stats in the closeout Finals game.

First half: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists. Second half: 15/4/2. Totals: 31/8/11. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter because he kept attacking the hoop just like anyone should to avoid a letdown when you’re minutes away from a confetti drop. They call it stat-padding; we call it closing out the win.

Narrative evaluation: Ignore this one; it’s only in here because it’s so laughable.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Tatum failed at the Olympics.

The trolls had a field day when Steve Kerr put Tatum in a harsh spotlight on the bench. Kerr stubbornly didn’t use him in the semifinal game even when they were trailing by double digits and getting nothing from Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker. But if Tatum was upset by it, he never let it show. JT handled the situation like a professional and left Paris as a winner of a second gold medal, which is two more than any of the trolls have.

Narrative evaluation: Let’s see what happens when Kerr and the Warriors visit Boston on November 6.

Evaluating Jaylen Brown

Brown is overpaid and can’t go left.

That was two years ago. In this year’s playoffs, Jaylen averaged 23.9 points and shot 51.6% while committing just 2.7 turnovers per game. His fearless three-pointer to send Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to overtime was the shot of the season. He played tough defense throughout and won Eastern Conference Finals MVP and FMVP – the two best trophies available. We aren’t hearing much complaining about his contract now.

Narrative evaluation: Dead. Jaylen killed it.

Brown deserved to be an Olympian.

Of course he did, but NBA Twitter used this narrative to troll Celtics fans, suggesting hard feelings between the Jays. Rival fans shamelessly hate the Celtics while also hoping to recruit their best players.

Narrative evaluation: Also dead, but check back in four years.

Split up the Jays.

How did this work out for you, Perk?

Narrative evaluation: Brad Stevens knew better than to listen to this malarkey.

Questioning Joe Mazzulla

Mazzulla is in over his head.

This was the most common refrain among Celtics fans for much of Mazzulla’s first season as head coach. Jack Anderson covered this topic recently in his look at how winning was the best method to change people’s minds.

Narrative evaluation: No longer an issue.

Mazzulla is not a top-10 coach because the Celtics are too good.

CBS Sports recently attempted to rank all 30 NBA coaches. They failed miserably, placing Mazzulla at no. 11, because “his roster is flawless,” the writer said. Mazzulla was behind not just former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, but also Jazz coach Will Hardy, who just two years ago was a Celtics assistant just like Mazzulla. Both of them are still getting the hang of running a team, while Joe, of course, spent the summer with the Larry O’Brien.

Narrative evaluation: Coach of the Year sometimes goes to the biggest winner, other times to the biggest overachiever. Mazzulla was arguably both and still got nothing – except the Larry. It will have to suffice.

We leave you now with our final answer to all the narratives, all the complaints and criticisms of the Boston Celtics. They are the 2024 NBA Champions, and nothing anyone says can change that.

Editor’s note: Readers, did we miss any? Please tell us in the comments.