Duke basketball alum Jayson Tatum began the Boston Celtics title defense with a 37-point double-double on Tuesday night.
Duke basketball alum [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] opened the 2024-25 season on Tuesday night by picking up right where he left off.
Tatum scored 37 points and added 10 assists against the New York Knicks in the season opener, helping the Boston Celtics to a 132-109 victory.
The best former Blue Devil in the league made 14 of his 18 attempts from the floor, including eight of his 11 3-point attempts, and pulled down four rebounds. The Celtics, as a team, tied an NBA record with 29 3-pointers for the game.
Tatum won his first NBA championship with the Celtics at the end of last season, putting a stamp on one of the best seasons in league history. Boston finished with a 64-18 record, seven more wins than any other team and 14 more than any other Eastern Conference franchise. The Celtics only lost three games between their four playoff series, and Tatum led the team in points, assists, and rebounds over the title run.
Tatum, the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, later won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Paris, making him the first Blue Devil with two of those on his mantle.
Xavier Tillman Sr. had a huge smile on his face as he got his championship ring
It’s been official for a while, but now he has the ring to prove it.
Michigan State basketball legend Xavier Tillman Sr. is an NBA champion, an honor he earned with the Boston Celtics when they dismantled the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals in June. On Tuesday night, he received his ring on opening night as Boston celebrated the title and raised a championship banner to the rafters.
You can watch him get the ring below with a huge, well-deserved smile on his face:
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The NBAâs reigning champs, the Boston Celtics, raised another banner into the crowded rafters of TD Garden on Tuesday night and also received their championship rings from winning last seasonâs Finals.
And man, these rings are big, shiny and pretty.
It remains to be seen if Danny Aingeor Grant Williams will get one, but the players who do get to slip one on will have a heavy diamond-laden rock hanging from their hand.
Each ring features a total of 15 carats of white diamonds, representing the 15 teams in the NBAâs Eastern Conference. In the inner and outer bezels of the ring are a combined 32 emerald cut diamonds â 16 for the number of the Celticsâ playoff wins last season, and 18 for the number of championships the franchise has won.
The rings are also customized with each playerâs name and number on the side, which is situated against a panel that is meant to look like TD Gardenâs parquet floors. The ring also has a removable top, and inside is each playerâs jersey number and the final score of the Finalsâ clinching game, a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Thereâs so much more on the rings too. Take a closer look here at the details:
The rings were created in collaboration with Jason of Beverly Hills.
Before the Celtics tipped off against the Knicks in the season-opener, Jayson Tatum let his son hold his ring on the court in a touching father-son moment.
The Celtics have a pretty easy schedule this season, and it’s not unthinkable that they could repeat and add another ring to the franchiseâs collection.
As the Celtics open their title defense against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, they will be without the spacing and shot-blocking big man’s services — he’s the only player currently listed on Boston’s injury report.
Why? Porzingis is still recovering from surgery for a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon suffered early in last year’s playoffs and exacerbated in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals. While not season-ending, it remains a “rare” ailment that will likely force Porzingis to take his time getting back up to his speed.
According to Porzingis himself in an interview with ESPN, his recovery timeline will see him hopefully make a return to the Celtics’ lineup sometime in December. Notably, that would still be on the “early side” of an apparent 5-6 month recovery period for surgery for his respective injuries.
That’s all we know about Porzingis’ playing status for the time being. We’ll see how his 2024-2025 season with the Celtics develops in the months ahead.
Any squad looking to continue that trend will have a tough time doing so. The Celtics are standing in the way and right now, it looks like Boston has a pretty strong chance of going back-to-back.
The Milwaukee Bucks are also back after a full offseason and training camp under Doc Rivers, who took over for Adrian Griffin in the middle of last season.
But, even considering all of that, we shouldn’t be convinced that any of those teams will be able to match the ferocity of the Celtics.
Boston was historically great last season. That team had the 5th best point differential in NBA history and didn’t change anything about its roster. Its two best players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, are coming into the season unusually motivated after drama with Team USA. Its fourth and fifth-best players, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, are arguably All-Stars. Kristaps Porzingis might be the best third option in the league when healthy.
There’s no good reason to pick against this team to make it out of the East right now. There’s not a team in the conference you should trust more.
In the West, there’s calamity. The Timberwolves and Nuggets both lost core pieces this offseason. Kawhi Leonard isn’t healthy for the Clippers and Paul George is across the country in Philly. The Mavericks made it to the Finals but were underdogs throughout that entire playoff run.
The Thunder are the best option as a challenger, but that team isn’t very experienced and, as good as it is, probably shouldn’t be trusted to beat a healthy and experienced Celtics team.
The C’s will be tested somewhere along the way. You can be sure of that. Going back-to-back is not easy. But if there were ever a team poised to do it, it’s this one.
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The 49ers nightmare season keeps getting worse
Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Every time I turn around, I feel like one of the 49ers players is injured. This time, it’s Brandon Aiyuk. And we won’t see him again this season.
“If anyone can mitigate the loss of elite skill talent, itâs Kyle Shanahanâs 49ers, who probably have the best plug-and-play offense in the NFL. For example, I wouldnât necessarily be surprised to see Pearsall shine in the coming weeks in Aiyukâs role. The 49ers seem to make this kind of thing happen all the time.
The glaring issue for the 49ers is that you can only plug in holes and put a smile on your face to a certain degree. Itâs one thing to consider how to replace Aiyuk alone. Itâs another to also think about the plan without McCaffrey and the rest of San Franciscoâs best playmakers. You can only scheme up quality plays that donât need special players for so long.
No one in the NFL, not even the 49ers, has that much depth.”
I’m not sure how Kyle and the gang get out of this one. I say that but, next thing you know, some undrafted receiver will be catching 8 balls for 250 yards for San Francisco next week.
We’ll see.
Tua Tagovailoa is back, for better or worse
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
The Dolphins QB might return to the football field this week for the first time since suffering a concussion against the Bills earlier this season, Cory Woodroof writes.
There’s a lot of controversy with this one. That was Tagovialoa’s third known concussion in the last two seasons. Many think he should retire (myself included!), considering the long-term implications too many concussions could have on his overall health in the future.
Tua Tagovailoa on those who worry he could get hurt again: âI appreciate your concern. I really do. I love this game. And I love it to the death of me. Thatâs it.â pic.twitter.com/fAvoHA2PXo
“I appreciate your concern. I really do,” he said to reporters on Monday. “I love this game. And I love it to the death of me. That’s it.”
His commitment to the game is his priority â not his long-term health. That’s his decision. No matter how we feel about it, we’ve got to respect his decision, even if it doesn’t feel right.
Here’s to good health for the Dolphins’ QB.
Quick hits: CFB Winners and Losers … The future of the WNBA CBA … and more
The Boston Celtics are again firmly in “championship-or-bust” mode this season, with the high financial stakes adding pressure to their title aspirations. Fresh off their 2023-24 NBA title, led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics now have …
The Boston Celtics are again firmly in “championship-or-bust” mode this season, with the high financial stakes adding pressure to their title aspirations. Fresh off their 2023-24 NBA title, led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics now have their sights set on building a dynasty. But with back-to-back championships eluding all teams since the Warriors of the glory days, Boston faces the challenge of maintaining their edge and avoiding complacency.
Key players like Tatum and Derrick White have been locked into contract extensions, signaling that the Celtics are all-in. Tatum, who averaged 26.9 ppg last season and continues to refine his game, remains the centerpiece of the team. His work this offseason with trainer Drew Hanlen to improve his three-point shooting shows his commitment to leading Boston’s pursuit of another title. Brown, with his ability to attack the basket, complements Tatum, while two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday, with the help of Brown and White, anchors the defense with his elite play and ability to lockdown opposing team’s star players.
However, the enormous cost of keeping this championship-caliber roster intact looms large. The team is projected to face a staggering $500 million payroll and luxury tax burden by the 2025-26 season. With ownership changes potentially on the horizon, including a rumored sale by team governor Wyc Grousbeck, the financial pressure is mounting. The Celtics have the talent to repeat as champions, but anything short of a title could be seen as a failure, especially given the exorbitant cost of their roster.
This is a unique and incredible approach to coaching
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has sat in on defensive meetings for the New England Patriots, and he is taking a page out of their strategy playbook, as he looks to defend his NBA title with the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics won a combined 80 games last season, which was the second-best mark in franchise history. They went 64-18 during the regular season before defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals by a 4-1 margin.
They went on one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history with only three losses in the postseason.
Nevertheless, Mazzulla is still trying to learn and improve as he embarks on his third season as Celtics head coach. He has been observing Patriots coach Jerod Mayo, and he is applying what the coach is doing to the basketball court.
âYeah, I think you learn a lot in those meetings,” Mazzulla told media members. “From three-step communication, on how they disguise their defense, what their different situational defenses are. All those things are super important. Itâs been great being able to see how you can kind of factor that into disguising your defensive possession.â
Jerod Mayo said this morning that Joe Mazzulla would sit in on the Patriotsâ defensive meetings during his visits to Foxboro.
Itâs certainly a unique approach to strategizing for a basketball coach. But then again, Mazzulla’s way of thinking outside of the box helped get the Celtics over the hump and back to championship glory.
If anything, this just shows how intertwined the sports world truly is.
Joe Mazzulla was happy Jayson Tatum didn’t win Finals MVP too.
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Prince J. Grimes.
The world’s greatest athletes draw motivation from just about anything, big or small. We know that. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise Tuesday to hear Jayson Tatum say he’ll use his experience in this summer’s Olympics as motivation for the upcoming season.
Being benched in two of five games as a recent NBA champion and All-NBA First Team player isn’t a perceived slight. It’s a slight. Intentional or not.
What he said next, though, was a little surprising to hear.
“I talk to Joe [Mazzulla] a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP and that I didn’t play in two of the games in the Olympics,” Tatum said. “So, that was odd. But if you know Joe, it makes sense.”
Jayson Tatum on Olympics: âIn real time, it was tough. I talked to Joe (Mazzulla) a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didnât win Finals MVP and that I didnât play two of the games in the Olympics. So that was odd. But if you know Joe, it makes sense.â pic.twitter.com/wq2Hk8EADK
I don’t know Joe. Aside from what he chooses to share with reporters. Like how he watches The Town entirely too much and how he’s probably put more thought into robbing a bank than the average person has. But even the little tidbits we get from the Boston Celtics head coach are enough to understand why he would take joy in his players facing difficult challenges.
This is the same man who was “excited” about a borderline dirty play against Tatum in April, because he wanted to see how his team responded. Mazzulla obviously believes these little obstacles make players better. He would be more disappointed if Tatum didn’t draw motivation from not winning Finals MVP and not being a part of the Olympic rotation.
How far that motivation actually goes remains to be seen. Tatum has been working on fixing his jump shot, which could make the 26-year-old a more lethal player than he already is. So, he’s clearly not resting on his laurels. But he also doesn’t have much to complain about. As Tatum said himself, he won a championship, signed the biggest contract in NBA history and landed the cover of NBA 2K25. Life is good.
“Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season. No. I’m not going to give anybody in particular credit that they’re motivating me to come into the season,” Tatum said.
Motivated or not, the Celtics are the best team in the NBA. They’re +300 favorites at BetMGM to repeat as champions. If they simply play up to the level they’re capable and stay healthy, they’ll be right there in the mix for a title at the end. Tatum can’t manufacture the type of motivation players who haven’t won can.
That’s likely why Mazzulla was happy. Because he knows players that more recently come up short, like Joel Embiid, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton and Donovan Mitchell, are extra motivated. And now they’re hunting the Celtics. Boston can’t afford to let up now.
JJ Redick’s Lakers starting 5
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
JJ Redick was on a recent episode of The Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe, and he revealed what his starting lineup is going to be for the Los Angeles Lakers when the season starts.
It’ll be LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.
Surprisingly, it’s a lineup former Lakers coach Darvin Ham didn’t play at all during the first half of the 2023-24 season. But as FTW’s Bryan Kalbrosky wrote, it was a very effective lineup once he did come around to it:
“As noted by Redick, the five players mentioned above went â23-10â during their games together last season.
When he was head coach of the Lakers, per Basketball-Reference.com, Ham did not play this five-man group until January 21. That realization somehow took until more than halfway through the season.
Los Angeles has outscored opponents by 9.46 points per 100 possessions in the 547 minutes that this unit has played alongside one another, via PBPStats. It is a data-backed group that performs well on both sides of the ball.”
Sometimes good coaching is just a matter of doing the simple things, like sticking with what works. Good on Redick for doing just that to get things started.
Time will tell if he’s able to make the necessary adjustments when things aren’t working as well.
Jaylen Brown really said the quiet part out loud about the Pistons.
Anyone who follows NBA basketball closely knows that the Boston Celtics could probably lean on their B-team to beat horrible squads like the Detroit Pistons without batting a single eyelash. The rub is that most people who say this in public are fans with no skin in the game.
There’s a big difference between talking ball with your fellow non-pro-athlete friends and someone who actually participates, saying they don’t have to worry about an awful team.
At Celtics Media Day on Tuesday, Brown said, out loud, that the Celtics don’t sweat the usually awful Detroit Pistons. Like, at all. He maintained that the Celtics have an understanding about the Pistons, knowing they can empty their bench and, most likely, still beat Detroit on any given night.
Brown’s not necessarily wrong, but he should probably avoid saying things like this while being recorded, especially after giving the obligatory “no disrespect disclaimer.”
Because everyone watching will rightfully take it as a sign of disrespect:
Jaylen says Boston usually play through players like Payton Pritchard & Sam Hauser vs teams like Detroit
âWe gonna play through Payton, let him go for 30. Play through Sam, let him shoot 10 threes tonight. We gonna still win the gameâ
I, for one, hope the Pistons and Cade Cunningham see this clip and use it as quality motivation. They’ll almost certainly be playing this video a bunch before the first time they play Boston this upcoming season. Truly, what a wild thing to say on camera from a player on the reigning NBA champion.
Comments like this potentially open a can of worms and put an even bigger target on the back of an elite Celtics team everyone in the league is now chasing.
While he was doing all of the little things right, the decision from Kerr didn’t come from nowhere, though. It originated largely because Tatum was in the middle of a shooting slump on the court, dating back to the postseason. That includes shooting an absolutely putrid 19.4 percent on his pull-up jumpers in the NBA Finals.
Tatum shot 56-for-188 (29.8 percent) on the whole in the postseason, per Synergy, despite helping Boston win the NBA championship. He was 0-for-10 on jumpers during the exhibition games for Team USA, and then went 0-for-6 once the Olympics began.
There is good news, though. During a recent profile, Ramona Shelburne wrote about what Tatum has done to address this issue (via ESPN):
“Indeed Tatum had, even though he’d just returned the night before from a weeklong trip to China with Jordan Brand. “It was easy to get up early,” Tatum told ESPN, noting the jetlag would kick in later in the day. And he said it would also allow him to pick up his son, Deuce, from school.
But Tatum wasn’t just there at 6 that first week. He had been doing two-a-days with his longtime skills coach Drew Hanlen and physical therapist Nick Sang to address a mechanical issue in his jumper that had come up early last season and reared its head again during the playoffs and Olympics.”
Then during his recent media day availability, Tatum acknowledged that he was playing well but it was not the right time to fix the issues with jump shot.
However, with some time before the regular season begins, Tatum now has the time to fix the “mechanical issue” with his jumper that led to his shooting slump.
This could get him back on track to dominate for the Celtics and it is good news for his fans that he is at least aware of the problem and actively trying to fix it.
