It's hard to have happy thoughts about the Boston Celtics these days, but that opens the door to reminisce on happy memories with the Celtics. Jayson Tatum has brought plenty of happy memories to Celtics fans (though not always). Chief among them has been his historically impressive playoff outing in his rookie season.
It's always fun to see talented players show out for their teams in the playoffs when their team needs them to. That was the case when Tatum stepped up for Boston in 2018, and now we're seeing it again with Dylan Harper.
It's not surprising that Harper, the No. 2 pick in last year's draft (which was considered a heavily talented one), is showing he has the makings of a franchise cornerstone (while playing beside a player many believe will be the NBA's best player for years to come), but what makes it more impressive is how he's doing this against the stiffest NBA competition, including the reigning champs.
Most obvious star guard since… pic.twitter.com/jo4Gr28lmn
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) May 29, 2026
Harper might not be the best player on the Spurs. In fact, he might not even be the second-best, but for what San Antonio is asking him to do, he's stepping up to the plate, which is insane for an NBA player as green as he is.
Tatum had to do the same thing eight years ago, and it turned into one of the most impressive individual playoff runs the Celtics had ever seen.
He beat Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and came within inches of beating LeBron James, all of whom were in their prime. More than that, he was forced into this role when the Celtics' top two options - Kyrie Irving and Gordon Haward - were out of commission.
Boston was supposed to be an easy out that year, but primarily because of Tatum, they were on the verge of one of the most surprising NBA Finals births ever.
It's also a reminder of how scary the Spurs are
The fact that San Antonio has already come this far in Year 3 of the Victor Wembanyama era is already a scary thought. The fact that they have also nailed their last two lottery picks (Harper and Stephon Castle) is further evidence of the reign of terror they are about to bestow upon the NBA.
The fact that theyhave this talent that is ready to win now as opposed to a few years down the line shows the Spurs will yet again reign supreme in the NBA. If the Celtics get back to where they were two years ago, don't be surprised if winning Banner 19 will require getting past them for it in the near future.
Luckily, it looks like basketball talent runs in the Harper family, which bodes well for the Celtics future, too. The Spurs have a talented Harper at their disposal, and the Celtics do too, which could make for quite an epic matchup down the line.
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