Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker will help Jayson Tatum become “one of the best” in the league

Boston Celtics’ rising star Jayson Tatum recently made a comment stating that he wants to be “one of the best” players in the league. With Kemba Walker now in tow, this feat will be easier to attain.

When the Boston Celtics inked Kemba Walker to a four year, $141 million deal this summer, they knew what they were getting: an All-Star point guard with seemingly no ego and a desire to win. While some may consider the team’s former one guard, Kyrie Irving, as the superior talent, Walker looks to be the superior fit with this franchise.

The Celtics imploded last season with Irving serving as the team’s leading figurehead. Whether you want to chock the team’s problems up to the point guard’s questionable leadership tactics or Brad Stevens’ insistence of featuring a seemingly not “all there” Gordon Hayward in the offense, one thing is certainly apparent: drama followed the Boston Celtics last season like hipsters to avocado toast.

It negatively impacted their team’s play. It negatively impacted their overall chemistry. More importantly, it negatively impacted the development of both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Coming into this season, with a few roster shake-ups here and there, Boston hopes to be drama-free in 2019. And, with the addition of Walker this offseason, it appears they’re headed in the right direction.

According to Ronald Nored, Walker’s former assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets, the point guard is exactly the type of player Boston needs.

"“Kemba’s a great guy. He’s like the best guy ever, really. Every day he comes with a smile. He competes at a high level. He’s a great teammate in the locker room.”"

To this point, the point guard seems like the optimal choice to run the show on a team looking to be drama free. While this should positively impact the team as a whole, more specifically it should help the maturation of Boston’s most promising young talent, Jayson Tatum.

Recently, when speaking to NBC Sports Boston, the third year pro stated he has lofty expectations for himself heading into this year.

"“I want to be one of the best,” Tatum said after Team USA’s practice Tuesday on the campus of UNLV. “There’s a lot of challenges that come with that. I’m excited.”"

Tatum also acknowledged that, though all of his stats did in fact improve from the season prior, it was not the type of “leap” the small forward expected from himself.

"“I should have known with the team, the dynamics —  we had so many guys, so many talented people trying to win a championship and everybody had to sacrifice and step back a little bit. It didn’t work.”"

Read it how you want, but the Houdini’s interpretation of this quote is: “we had guys who were focused on doing what they do best rather than doing what was best for the team.”

This season it is expected that, due to the departures of Irving, Al Horford, Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris, Tatum will be more of a featured component in the team’s game plan than he has been in previous seasons. This should do wonders for the 21-year-old.

All Boston fans know the level of talent Tatum possesses. It appears so too does Walker.

"“Those dudes are so talented, it’s unbelievable,” said Walker about Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. “To be here and see those guys, and the way they compete and how much passion and love they have for the game, the intensity they have for the game, that’s special to me.”"

During his time with the Charlotte Hornets, the point guard was, for the most part, surrounded by mediocre talent. The best player he had as a running mate was who? A post-peak Dwight Howard?

A guy like Tatum is a breath of fresh air for the veteran point guard and, if his main goal is to win, his best course of action is to help the young wing reach his fullest potential.

Though it is natural to compare the games of Walker and Irving, it appears their mentalities are very different. Walker isn’t looking to be the face of a brand or be the “guy” on a championship team. He simply wants to be a cog in a championship machine. That is why he joined a Boston Celtics team that will be transitioning to having Tatum as their top option by the end of Walker’s four year deal.

In signing his max deal, the objective for Walker in Boston is clear: elevate the talented core in place to an elite level. Tatum will undoubtedly be the primary beneficiary of Walker’s defection from the lowly Hornets to a Celtics team that figures to be perennial playoff locks.

The rising star has made it very clear — he wants to be great. With Kemba Walker now in the picture, this goal is even more achievable.