Boston Celtics’ superstar Jayson Tatum is not a fan of the point differential in the In-Season Tournament. That’s too bad, because if he and the Celtics want a shot at heading to Vegas he’s going to have to embrace it and better yet, if he wants a champion’s mindset he has to know there is no let up until the final buzzer.
“The point differential thing, I’m not the biggest fan of it … last Friday where the game was already over and the guys still trying to score, you know, it’s all about respecting the game and respecting your opponents,” said Tatum.
Tatum And The Celtics Better Embrace Point Differential
The game Tatum is referencing is last Friday’s east group C game that the Celtics lost to the Orlando Magic, 113-96. That 17-point win by the Magic gave them a 3-1 group record and a +22 point differential.
The Celtics are 2-1 with a 0 point differential heading into Tuesday’s final group stage game against the Chicago Bulls. If Tatum and the Celtics want to advance to the knockout round with a chance to get to Las Vegas, they better beat the Bulls by as many points as possible and hope they get in on that tiebreaker.
Tatum’s position about respecting the game and respecting opponents is tired. That’s often what losing teams and losing players say after they get beat. He and the Celtics, despite the fact that the game was decided, should’ve been playing to the last whistle to keep the margin low.
The Magic knew that point differential would come into play for them as that was their last group stage game. They played to the final whistle with the goal of increasing their differential. That’s what a team that wants to advance in the tournament with a chance to win does.
That’s a winner’s mentality.
This Is Pro Sports. There Is No Disrespect In Winning.
The Celtics, a team with title aspirations, need to drop this “too cool for school” attitude like they’ve already won the NBA title. They’re playing well now. It’s November. We have no idea what things will look like in April. A team that has a champion mindset wants to come out and dominate any and all competitions.
See the Los Angeles Lakers which won west group A with a 4-0 record and +74 point differential.
See the Phoenix Suns which in their final group A game against the Memphis Grizzlies were banking in threes with seconds remaining in an already decided game.
“No disrespect to the Grizzlies,” said Suns’ star Devin Booker, per Duane Rankin of AZCentral. “I wouldn’t take that shot if it wasn’t the In-Season Tournament, but we needed it.”
The Suns are now 3-1 with a +34 differential and almost assured of being the West wild card team heading into the knockout round.
The Lakers and Suns, like the Celtics, have aspirations of winning the NBA Finals in June too. But why not try to win everything you possibly can?
The point differential during the In-Season Tournament is a great way to ensure competition. You don’t like a team running up the score on you? Stop them. This isn’t youth sports. This is the pros.
There is no disrespect in winning.
Coasting through the finish in a game you will likely lose is extremely disrespectful to the game. This is all about competition, and Tatum knows this.
