Former NBA Coach Calls Celtics 'Jaylen Brown's Team' Before Jayson Tatum's Return
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Jayson Tatum will officially return to the Boston Celtics on Friday night. A recent championship-winning head coach considered how the team may look with the star back on the court.
Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone preached patience ahead of Tatum's season debut against the Dallas Mavericks. While he feels the 28-year-old can play a "significant" role for the Celtics, Malone thinks he'll need time before finding his groove.
Furthermore, Malone said on ESPN's "Get Up" that Jaylen Brown will remain the team's primary option for the rest of the season.
"Is he going to be the Jayson Tatum we saw last year? You probably won't see that version of Jayson Tatum for a while," Malone predicted. "And I'm not trying to put a ceiling on him because what he's doing is already incredible. Ten months is a really short recovery from that injury.
"... I would never put a ceiling on a player of his caliber and his character, but he's not gonna be the guy leading this team. This is Jaylen Brown's team. And now he has another weapon, another great player in Tatum who, day by day, game by game, is only going to find his rhythm, get his confidence back."
Malone commended Tatum for returning ahead of schedule from his Achilles tear and considered his pre-game message to the six-time All-Star if coaching the Celtics.
"I'm telling him to relax and enjoy this," Malone said. "You've done all the hard work. I think the hardest part about this 10-month stretch that Tatum's gone through is the mental ... So if I'm Joe Mazzulla, I'm putting my arm around him, I'm telling him how much I love him, how much I believe in him and how much I have his back."
The Celtics have 20 regular-season games remaining, so Malone advised the Celtics to ease him back into the fold gradually.
"We're not looking to see him go out there and get 25 points tonight," Malone said. "We want him to come along slowly, build his minutes up."
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