Boston Celtics stars emphasizing defense ahead of regular season

For many Boston Celtics fans, there have been two big news stories surrounding this year’s offseason. The first is the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis and the injury concerns surrounding the FIBA World Cup. The rest of the attention has been around Jaylen Brown and his Supermax contract extension.

While there have been a few other signings, nothing else has garnered as much attention around the fanbase as the departure of Marcus Smart and Brown’s new deal. This being said it is important to pay attention to the small details of the offseason so we know what to expect.

Jayson Tatum on his goals with the Boston Celtics for the 2023-24 season

In a recent interview with Jeff Goodman, Tatum spoke about a variety of different things regarding his career; his hopes for the future, and his goals for this upcoming season. While coming off a season in which he averaged over 30 points per game, it is easy to only focus on Tatum’s offensive ability. However, one of the things he talked about was his desire to excel on the defensive side of the floor.

“I want to make an all-defensive team, that’s what I want,” Tatum said.

While this is certainly a big leap for Tatum, his defense has still been outstanding over the past few years. He can guard pretty much any position from the 1-4 with elite rebounding skills as well. With Tatum’s length, athleticism, and quick feet combined with his added strength, it is not unreasonable to think Tatum could be on an all-defensive team this year.

Just take a look at a few examples of him playing against the best scorers in the league:

Even a player like Kevin Durant who is a future hall of famer and widely regarded as one of the best players in basketball knows how good the Cs star can be:

For KD to include Tatum in the conversation with three all-time great defenders says a lot about what Tatum can be capable of on that end of the floor.

Jaylen Brown must show more focus defensively for the Boston Celtics

When it comes to Jaylen Brown, one of the biggest problems fans had with him last season was his defense. At the beginning of his career, Brown was deemed an excellent defender and ever since his offense has continued to improve, fans believe his defense or his defensive effort has not been up to par.

While I believe Brown is still capable of being a great defender, he has to eliminate the mental mistakes from his defensive side of the game. There were many instances last year where Brown got back cut for an easy layup, just because he was ball-watching or was not paying attention.

Along the same line, there are certain defensive decisions that absolutely can not continue to happen, such as the one against the 76ers in the playoffs.

However, based on Jaylen’s recent instagram post, it appears both of the Cs All Stars are looking to improve on the defensive side of the ball this year.

Is anyone else getting flashbacks?

In case I have to remind you, after this tweet, the Boston Celtics finished the season 25-6 and ended up reaching the finals, falling short of a championship by two games. Oh, and also they boasted one of the best defenses in the league throughout that stretch.

Whether it was the departure of Smart or the decrease in defensive performance from years prior, it is clear the Celtics are now ready to excel on both sides of the ball for the upcoming 2023-24 season.