NBA Power Rankings: Jayson Tatum & Celtics DYNASTY loading? Boston's top challengers | Hoops Tonight

Jason Timpf concludes his NBA power rankings with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the defending champion Boston Celtics. Jason discusses what Boston must accomplish to enter the "all-time great team" conversation, breaks down the Celtics' biggest strengths and weaknesses, and shares whether he expects Boston to end the season as back-to-back champions.
Timeline:
00:00 - Introduction
02:35 - #1: Boston Celtics
17:05 - NBA Mailbag
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#nba #celtics #bostonceltics #celticsnation #jaysontatum #jaylenbrown #jrueholiday #kristapsporzingis #nbaplayoffs #nbafinals #nbabasketball #nbahighlights #basketball #sports

[@thewalruswasjason101]

Porzingis missed almost entire playoffs. I don’t hear about that much.

[@goodisanoun]

Probably because when he played he played well and the Celtics didn't need him anyway.

[@jmipre1985]

If Tatums jumper is back, nobody is beating them.

[@jayG21219]

I think it’s just really frustrating for Boston fans when the media (not saying you necessarily) just keep moving the goalposts again and again, and never stop to give these guys the credit they deserve. First Jayson wasn’t a superstar, then he wasn’t good enough to be the 1 on a title contender, then him and Jaylen couldn’t coexist, then they couldn’t get past the ecf, etc etc Time and time again this team has proved everyone wrong, and those guys who were wrong never stop to admit their fault, instead they just double down or give them a new obstacle to overcome… “yeah they won a championship but they aren’t an all time great time.” As a fan it just gets tiresome.

[@aashray536]

As a GS and Steph Curry fan, its sad but this is just how media works nowdays. The only thing that can get people to shut up is long terms consistent results. There is a lot of revisionist history that goes on in the media and it doesnt get much better until there is an overwhelming stack of results to disprove the festering disrespect. I think the Celtics team has an opportunity to be a dominant EAST team for a couple of seasons and make it to multiple finals. The long terms success will surely bring more respect and appreciation toward the players and the staff.

[@stevinsmith8683]

As a Celtics fan I think when we say the 2024 Celtics were an all time great team, we're talking about the greatest SINGLE SEASON teams of all time. Similar to the 72 Lakers or the 83 Sixers who only won one title but are universally recognized as top 10 all time teams on any list for one season. This team belongs on that list regardless of if we win again

[@HenneIncognito]

as a C's fan from Germany i cant watch a lot of games outside of the Celtics. I dont know and I dont really care if they were a generational one season team. I found it much more annoying that everyone and their mother from the western conference was heralded as better than the celtics. Denver was the defending champ and Jokic is unreal, so you couldnt complain about them being regarded higher. SGA + OKC have never been to the conference finals before. Minnesota and Edwards haven't been to the conference finals before the 2024 playoffs. How Doncic + Kyrie and the rest of Dalles faired against Boston could be seen in the 5 games of the finals. And the easy path narrative was never pushed, when the Celtics lost in '22 against the Warriors after two seven game series in the eastern semis and finals.

[@Whoknowsx1234]

Literally all we mean 😂 we are saying the 2023-24 Celtics can stack up against almost any other single season team ever. We aren’t saying we’re the warriors dynasty

[@ny3793]

This is certainly not a single season all time great team. I like the Celtics but you’re insane if you think this team is even top 3 in the past 2 decades

[@TheRobversion1]

​​​@@ny3793they are mathematically are. You're talking about single season here. Do you know how many 64+ win teams have been around in recent years? How about teams who have 1st in offense and 2nd in defense in the regular season? How about a +11 net rating? We could go on and on. These celtics are possibly not an all time great team but a single season, recent great team? They are. The math says so. Anyone who says otherwise just wants to discredit the celtics, is a celtics hater, troll or a casual. P.S. i dont think anyone praising the celtics for the past 2 decades. Just 1 decade. The 2020s. They are being compared to the kawhi toronto team and all the team onwards from that. Everything stops at that warriors team. For now.

[@nicklopez1305]

@@ny3793 they had more 30 point leads last season than they had 10 point deficits... and like the 4th best net rating of all time... idk man lol

[@roykentseyebrows4196]

One on one, Tatum is around the 5th or 6th best player in the league. But as a super-flexible player who can fill almost any role (defending at center, and playing point forward in the playoffs) to build a team around? if I were starting a team, he'd be my #2 after Jokic.

[@GoBoSox20]

Don't forget his durability!

[@drewp839]

You don’t believe this, no one believes this, just stop

[@MihoyMinoy-si8fb]

@drewp839 I’m a Kings fan and I believe it. I get a feeling you just don’t like Tatum or the Celtics.

[@Highstormsports]

@@drewp839you and the people who hate on Tatum don’t even know why you hate him. Just do it cause everyone is doing it 😂

[@roykentseyebrows4196]

​@@drewp839 I absolutely do. Look at the rest of the top 6. Luka? Doesn't play D, so you need to pair him with plus defenders to cover. Giannis? Doesn't shoot threes, which limits the offense. SGA? Small guard who can't defend anything down low. Embiid? Constantly injured and unreliable. Tatum can play any role you want, which allows the team massive flexibility in building around him.

[@boboalallolo]

This Celtics team is going to be so much more dangerous than last year. Bad news for the league.

[@kudzaiishegonese7667]

Miami got something to say about that !!

[@eb9782]

You are a good, unbiased reporter; as a Celtics fan, I very much enjoyed watching your Lakers fandom peeking through the cracks a few times as you struggled to praise us! Congrats on finishing the rankings

[@stevenwhiters8928]

People underrating how Tatum and brown will be playing free now. Jaylen brown may have career year

[@Jay-om2gc]

Imma keep it a buck with you Celtics were picked against in the finals you can’t say they didn’t face a legitimate team when everyone picked against them.

[@patrickbateman438]

Vegas had Celtics as heavy favourites, not saying I agree with Jason about not facing a legitimate team but every series Celtics were the heavy favourites. To begin the playoffs the Celtics were the favourites, in the finals they were the favourites. The Celtics were never anything close to an underdog.

[@ferociousgames4196]

So many Celtics fans in here! Banner 19 🍀

[@zenecawll5677]

Imagine how legendary Boston’s vs denver finals would be for 2-3 years if denver had a semi competent front office

[@CzarsSalad]

If the same discourse against the Celtics be applied to all previous champs, then a massive asterisk should be applied to the 85 and 87 Lakers

[@rollind2456]

Appreciate the nuance of understanding even though the Cs will see more competition they also have their own room to grow

[@SkullEZClap]

Let's go C's!!!

[@SlingtownOG]

🍻 from Boston! ☘☘☘

[@tatt4music]

The Celtics have the most Center position depth in the entire league. There’s no argument for that.

[@jaybee5269]

Really enjoy your content. Your remarks about players getting progressively better over time struck me. I've been watching the NBA since 1963 and have certainly seen development in certain skills and an increase in tactical sophistication, much of which only became possible because of significant rule changes. For example, the ban on handchecking and virtual elimination of the offensive charge (with the "no-charge zone") set offensive players free to develop their moves in ways that would have been impossible or very difficult in the past. But there are factors that make players and teams "great" that transcend technical skill and even athletic ability. I remember the 1960s Celtics with their continuity and unselfish play, their exquisite team balance and familiarity with each other. Also, their absolute loyalty to each other, their fans, and the team. It's in the crunch and under pressure that a team's character really comes through. I've seen a lot of supremely talented and athletic players and teams melt down in the playoffs in ways that rarely happened in the good old days. The game has become technically more sophisticated, but basketball is still 90% guts.

[@gavcurtis2994]

mavs were a top 5 team last year and were healthier than the celtics, and the series wasn’t close. People just want to discredit the team because they are jealous.

[@MrKeysjimmy]

What are people saying to discredit the celtics? My only thing is they are over the cap ,that's why they won.

[@wannabegolfin24-72]

I hope people realize that the Celtics integrated TWO new starters last year. With a year & a title under their belt, why bet against them?

[@nikobellic2515]

Around 13:00 Jason talks about how the Celtics are able to get about 20 wins off of the 7 bad East teams, that’s fine, but the other good teams in the East get around the same amount of games don’t they? Should be 20 easy wins for them too

[@PaM07675]

Not always. Its not easy to go 24-2 or 25-1 against the worst teams. If it was, we’d have like 8 teams a year who had only like 15 wins. Usually a really good team might go 19-6 or 20-5 against the worst teams. So thats like a 4 game boost for the Celtics because they are just that much better. On top of that, they are also gonna go like 21-5 against the rest of the East playoff teams, and they’ll end up like 45-7 in the East. Which is really hard to do even if youre in the weaker conference

[@augustmoon0004]

@@PaM07675 He was talking about the advantage that the Celtics have, which they actually don't. Every team in the East has the same schedule, it's just that they're that much better!!

[@mctaguer]

Think the way you discussed Celtics vs. Field compared to '18 GSW vs. Field is rational, fair and thoughtful. Nothing to gripe about from us C's fans.

[@mctaguer]

On the Clippers, and I don't say this in retrospect: I don't blame them for trying either, but I ALWAYS saw those moves as risky, because even in 2020, I saw PG and Kawhi as significant injury risks. I saw them having a 50-50 chance of making a Finals in their era, 1-in-3 to win one. And yes, those are good enough odds to TRY, but I was more skeptical than not they'd ever actually pull it off. A Finals fun is too hard to rely on TWO guys with that profile. That's exactly how I felt then, and yes, ENTIRELY because of how much durability matters in championship runs. I felt the same about the Nets and their superteam efforts.

[@rollind2456]

Thanks!

[@jasonwilliam_79]

CELTICS in 6 over everyone. Banner 19 is coming.

[@brodyhill1650]

Mailbag: Pels are a super interesting and often overlooked team. If you could make a realistic trade and or change for the pelicans to push them over the top into a playoff team, what would that be? Love the show man

[@jaredkrol3739]

I think Tillman will be a good rotation piece for them

[@betterthanyou60]

As a new subscriber I really appreciate your logical and we'll researched basketball takes...but COTDAMN the Lebron is the GOAT argument gets weaker each time you discuss it. Almost seems like you don't truly believe it lmao.

[@mctaguer]

I'm a Celtics fan and I agree with you. I WANTED to play Denver last year, WANTED Jimmy Butler healthy so we could kick his ass too. And this year, I want all of'em--the Sixers, the Knicks and either Minnesota, Denver or OKC. Beat'em all and everyone has to STFU, forever.

[@zoodk33rt]

How is it that nobody mentions that we had to play without Porzingus for three series? We weren't full strength either!

[@jasonvu2253]

Mailbag: What do you think is the minimum amount of defensive talent to win the championship in terms of good, average, and bad defenders? We saw the 2023 Nuggets win the championship with 3 average-ish defenders in Murray, MPJ, and Jokic. They had a good perimeter/guard defender in KCP and a good versatile forward defender in Gordon. We saw a similar sort of roster construction with the 2024 Mavericks, who made it to the finals with bad defender Luka, average defender Kyrie, good perimeter defender DJJ, good wing defender P.J. Washington, and good rim protector Gafford/Lively. Can you win 4 playoff rounds with a bad defender if your scheme is good enough? Or do you think that the more equal opportunity teams like the Celtics will make it so that 5 average to good defenders are a must have to win the title? Thanks Jason, love the show as always. Keep up the good work.

[@kudzaiishegonese7667]

Miami got SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT !!! Let’s go Heat 🔥🔥🔥

[@everminenow]

Hey Jason, why didn't you talk about Jaylen Brown?

[@Dj-vt5gr]

We Celtics aren't getting lucky enough to overcome Tatum's pants crapping and porzingas' fragility again this year .

[@andrewabraham5109]

Hello Jason, which role player on a bad/rebuilding team that can be the next PJ Washington and Derrick White help a contender either reach the finals or win a title on a smaller optimized role, Good work as always and love your content.

[@markmelillo5699]

just about anybody on the nets not named ben simmons its essentially a team made up of high end and above average role players

[@GoBoSox20]

Lonnie Walker looked great once they got home, but i don't think they will take the tax hit for him unfortunately.

[@curtislinden9297]

He was still at practice today, he’s got a slight chance still

[@CTEagleCeltic]

Bruh, we did it the hard way in 2022 and lost to Steph Curry… to me the Chip legitimizes the team… IMO we’re closer to a dynasty than not a dynasty.

[@mctaguer]

Think that next guy's gonna be Wemby. He's already done at least 10 things we've never seen before. That said, he's not already the 11th best player, ESPN. 🤨

[@jordanjohnson1255]

Celtics are prisoners of their own greatness. Crush everyone, easy path. Close games, they’re overrated. What’re we doing?

[@nickjones5495]

As a Warriors fan, I wish my peers could accept that there are just better options on the roster than Moody. As cute as it would be to give him pity minutes.. we're trying to win a championship, here.

[@jmipre1985]

OKC is the Walmart Celtics if we’re being honest

[@ou8428]

Nah not me. I've never fallen for the Kawhi crap. He's a damn good player, but he's also been a lucky benefactor of being on good and deep teams vs completely injury riddled teams in the playoffs. He has never carried a garbage team far, or defeated a healthy team that was favored. Never. That 2014 Heat was just LeBron and a bunch of fucking role players due to injured to Bosh and Wade (and he still was productive despite the lack of help, and boxes and elbows and trap defense by an all-time great Spurs team) and Kawhi was inconsequential to that Spurs win. He could have not played a second in that series and the Spurs are still winning that series in 5. That 2019 Raptors team was deep as hell, LeBron finally left the conference, the 76ers were injured and trash as usual as was Giannis and the Bucks, and in the finals it took KD tearing his achilles and Klay tearing his ACL for the Raptors to even have a chance of winning game 5 against role players and Steph who was NOT good. Those fluke playoff runs with the Clippers in which Marcus Morris and fellow thugs were overtly injuring Luka because Luka and a bunch of fucking role players that we can't name were SHREDDING the super team Clippers... And Paul George in playoffs? My fingers are too tired for me to name all his collapses.

[@Jay-om2gc]

In what damn planet is SGA better than Tatum man? Tatum has done everything SGA has done you’re cooked jason

[@CzarsSalad]

Exactly. Recency bias is truly a thing with these so-called experts. SGA has one great season and that's it.

[@erichua374]

Started listening last year, were you a Lakers fan or Lebron fan first? Will you still be a Laker fan post-Lebron?

[@matt_oworu_19]

Ummm you thought Denver was repeating. I think repeating is just too hard in this league now

[@rollind2456]

🍀🍀🍀🍀

[@ou8428]

You're funny to think SGA would be the best player in a Boston-OKC matchup... SGA got absolutely embarassed by Doncic and was THE REASON OKC lost against Dallas, and the Celtics punked Luka harder than he's ever been punked in his professional career. Tatum and Brown would absolutely embarass SGA and JDub, and Holmgren is nowhere near Porzingis

[@Fast___Break]

I just can’t take you seriously with the Mavs disrespect man. You disrespected them last year UNTIL the end, once they went on a run, you jumped on the bandwagon. Btw, they literally had to go on the road during their western conference run. Beating 3 50 win teams.. If luka doesn’t foul out in game 3, I believe they win. They win game 4 and its 2-2 going back to Boston. This team is deep, physical, and have added shooting. You are very knowledgeable about the game, but truth be told; I don’t think you’re very good at evaluating the ceiling of a team.

[@euro51116]

Not if Jokic and my Nuggets have anything to say about it. The dynasty is ours first.

[@WLJ1287]

You’re not a dynasty till you win 3 with preferably two of them being back to back which didn’t happen so they have to win this one and the next

[@martlnez2005]

Nuggets k

[@euro51116]

@@WLJ1287 Did the spurs ever win back to back? No. And theyre still considered a dynasty.

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

This dude is such a clown, he has AD as the best 6th best player and Lebron as the 7th best player, would love to come back when the lakers go out in the first round.

[@matthewburke627]

corny

[@gringoboy701]

Another emotional kid on the internet.

[@The4AMChannel]

he’s actually a great commentator and i respect his opinion even if i don’t always necessarily agree with him he lays out his opinion and reason very well and if you disagree that’s alright sports conversations are conversations

[@donaldpratt2296]

Finally

[@CosminCosyCodes]

Bro why are you using the word Dynasty after winning 1 ring?

[@MihoyMinoy-si8fb]

Because they have better than 50/50 odds of repeating which would put them in dynasty territory. It is what it is.

[@ivanbarroso865]

The hate for the Celtics is strong