After a conference-finals run in the …

After a conference-finals run in the bubble, Boston seemed primed to take the next step. It stumbled instead. Then last year, it came together in such a whirlwind that Tatum is now the top scorer on the betting favorite for the 2023 title, a team that just brought in two established veterans to shore up offensive pitfalls from the playoff run. It’s why, in spite of a tough finals defeat, Tatum’s confident the Celtics are ready to come back and pull it off this time. “I mean, what kind of teammate would I be if I said no?” he said. “We got this close, and we added two really good players. I think it makes us better.”