It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to bet on who’s the favourite to win the championship this season. Pretty much everyone thinks the Celtics have what it takes to do the back-to-back. But as the Red Bull F1’s team principal said it best- “The higher you rise, the sharper the knives.” And the Celtics are victims of exactly that. Jayson Tatum, being the forefront of the organisation, has come into the spotlight the most, with ex-Celtics player Kendrick Perkins claiming that he has the most to prove come playoffs.

“I also believe that he has the most to prove. Jayson Tatum, I know, my boy, [Brian Windhorst] would disagree with me on this, has been disrespected. I’ve never seen the NBA champion more disrespected than like, I saw Jayson Tatum after he won his NBA championship,” said Perkins on First Take.

“From the fact of he didn’t get the finals MVP, he didn’t get conference MVP, conference finals MVP… He was disrespected when he went to the Olympics. Like everything, he’s been criticized and called everything but a child of God, instead of respecting what this man has brought to the table,” he further elaborated.

Windy has already made his thoughts clear about this. He knows that the ‘Green Mamba’ has a Hall of Fame profile already, and his summer last year was probably one of the best of all time. Not only did he win the championship, but he won the coveted gold medal for his country and signed the richest NBA contract of all time. Neat, right?

It’s no surprise that he’s the spearhead in Joe Mazzulla’s attacking tactics this season. But averaging 27/8.7/6 won’t mean squat if the same form isn’t translated into the playoffs, too. KP knows this is exactly what JT needs to bring to the table come post-season.

“So when I look at what Jayson Tatum has brought to the table… I think this is the postseason for him to not only go out there and get another championship, but to go get a finals MVP and to make sure he remind everybody that when LeBron and Steph leave, y’all better mention my name before it’s being the next face of the NBA,” said KP as he ended his rant.

With the whole debate of the face of the NBA lingering around, do you think that Jayson Tatum is the front-runner for the new face? Regardless of JT’s pressure, the chip on the whole roster’s shoulders will be as big as the state of California. But it’s a responsibility they’re taking in full stride, and the month of March was a testament to that.

So much so, that coach Mazzulla even won the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honours. But his reaction to receiving the award has gotten him under scrutiny by former players.

“He’s just kinda weird, man”– Austin Rivers on Joe Mazzulla

Boston HC Joe Mazzulla’s character’s well known, right? So, his comments on winning the Eastern Conference Coach of the Year award for March shouldn’t be too surprising. “It’s the dumbest thing ever.” Well, that didn’t sit nicely with the likes of Austin Rivers.

Coach Mazzulla won the honors after Boston’s incredible month of March, when they won 14 of 15 games. And get this—this isn’t the first time the Sicilian native has talked the coach of the month award down.

After the 2024 NBA finals, Celtics guard Derrick White congratulated his gaffer for winning the honor. “When he won Coach of the Month, I said ‘Hey, congratulations.’ And he just looked at me and said ‘nobody cares,’” White said when asked of his favorite Mazzulla quote.

For former SG Austin Rivers, this was a bit much. And a tad bit disrespectful to the rest of the league. “I like Joe Mazzulla, it’s just he’s kinda weird man… Just take it and just keep pushing, bro… You’re a good coach, you got a good team… you got coach of the month and it doesn’t mean anything to you? Just relax… That was a little much for me…” said Rivers on his podcast Off Guard.

To be honest, the whole award is just a testament to his team’s brilliance. To most of the other coaches, it’s an honour that will last a lifetime. But considering the Greens’ achievements over the past couple of seasons, are Austin’s comments justified?

The Celtics are at the mantle of the NBA right now. As the current champions, they have a target on their backs. For the sake of the public, Kendrick Perkins thinks Jayson Tatum has the most to prove come playoffs. And at the same time, let’s hope Joe Mazzulla’s second potential title win can give a better reaction from him if he wins the Red Auerbach Trophy at the end of the season.