All we keep hearing about the Celtics' training camp is how the vibes are through the roof. Players are raving about Jayson Tatum’s leadership and how he brought the team together in LA for workouts, golf, and bonding. Paul George and Mike Conley have been welcome veteran leaders, the young guys are growing and taking big steps, and Joe Mazzulla spent his summer getting to know his players better and learning from Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan.
And now we can add Mitchell Robinson to the list of players buzzing with positivity, as he spoke to Bobby Manning of CLNS Media about coming over from the rival Knicks and bonding with his new Celtics teammates on Monday.
"The team bonding... it's been great. We're all enjoying each other's company... Everybody sees that I like trucks, fishing, animals, X, Y and Z, and I'm learning the other guys as well... [Boston] was always a fun little rival, and now that I'm part of this team, we joke about it all the time. So great vibes."
And this is just another example of a player, and another new player, talking about how great the vibes are and how well everyone is getting along and having a good time getting to know each other.
Celtics' team chemistry is on point ahead of preseason
Team chemistry and camaraderie certainly isn’t everything, but it also can’t hurt. It’s not like the Celtics teams of the past haven’t gotten along or have had animosity (for the most part), but it’s impossible not to notice how much this particular roster has been bonding and how everybody appears to be connected and on the same page.
The last couple of champions have seemed to be extremely close, as the Thunder had a bunch of young kids who grew close over post-game shenanigans en route to a title, then the Knicks compiled a team of several college buddies who were close friends and built a championship team around it.
Connectivity isn't everything, but it's important
Nobody is suggesting that’s some kind of foolproof strategy, and simply forming a group of guys who get along is a recipe for success in the NBA. But at the same time, there’s something to be said for trust and cohesion, and it certainly seems like that’s exactly what this Celtics team is building.
Whether it translates to success on the court remains to be seen, and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters. But it’s safe to say that the vibes are higher than they’ve been in a very long time, and that’s not nothing. If it does show up on the court, this team has a chance to be very special, and with Mazzulla at the helm, they’ve got the perfect leader to keep the group close-knit once they inevitably hit some adversity.
They’ll still need talent and execution to accomplish their goals, but from everything we’re seeing from the outside, this team is on the right path, and they’re off to an excellent start.
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