Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart keep it real about Celtics: 'Everyone’s chasing Boston'

Are the Boston Celtics still the team to beat heading into next season? Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart seem to think so.

The New York Knicks teammates talked about the Celtics on a recent episode of their podcast. On Episode 19 of the Roommates Show, co-host Matt Hillman asked Brunson and Hart about the current offseason and how Eastern Conference teams like the Knicks have upgraded their rosters.

“It’s more competitive on paper right now,” Brunson said. “But everyone’s gunning for Boston.”

Hart echoed his former Villanova teammate’s comments with some high praise for the NBA champions. 

"At the end of the day, everyone’s chasing Boston. We could have went and signed Jokic, Bron, KD … You’re still chasing Boston, they’re the champs. You’re trying to chase them, that’s kind of what everyone in the East is doing … Like JB said, it’s gonna be more competitive because a bunch of teams got better."

- Josh Hart

Eastern Conference rivals are constructing their teams to beat the Boston Celtics

The Knicks made a huge splash earlier this summer when they traded for Mikal Bridges and gave up Bojan Bogdanovic and a boatload of draft compensation. The Knicks will pair Bridges and OG Anunoby together in an attempt to roll out the deadliest duo of wing defenders in basketball.

To keep up with Boston, a team needs the ideal personnel to guard Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Between Tatum’s gravity as a point-forward and Brown’s world-class shotmaking, the Jays still give even the best defenders in the world headaches.

Brunson discussed the way Eastern Conference teams are trying to design their rosters to beat the Celtics.

"We’re all chasing Boston, we have to. They won at an elite level … We gotta figure out, without being on the court right now, how we can be able to beat them. That’s in the hands of the front office, and once the season starts, it’s in our hands. They set the blueprint for right now."

- Jalen Brunson

Last season, the Celtics went 4-1 against the Knicks. Their only loss came late in the regular season after they had already clinched the No. 1 seed. 

Across Boston’s four wins, Tatum averaged 28.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 52.6% shooting from the field. Tatum’s best performance against New York came ten games into the season when he torched the Knicks for 35 points, six boards, seven assists, and five 3-pointers on 69.4% true shooting.

Hart defended Tatum for most of the night, and he could not do anything to stop the All-NBA forward. Tatum thoroughly cooked Hart, raining a barrage of jumpers in his grill throughout the contest. JT had a whopping 17 points in the fourth quarter alone.

Like Bridges and Anunoby, Hart hangs his hat on the defensive end and guards wings at a very high level. However, Anunoby is probably the best-equipped of anyone on the Knicks roster to guard the likes of Tatum and Brown. Anunoby’s insane 7-foot-2 wingspan makes him one of the most impactful wing defenders in the NBA. Bridges and Hart do not possess Anunoby’s degree of physicality and athleticism, which might cause them to struggle more against the Jays.

The Boston Celtics brought back 13 of 15 players from last season

The Celtics made the most of an offseason that could have easily been hampered by CBA limitations. As a second-apron team, Boston could only sign unrestricted free agents to minimum contracts. Brad Stevens ended up signing Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, and Luke Kornet all on minimum-salary deals. On top of that, Stevens resigned Tatum and Derrick White to officially lock up Boston’s starting five for the foreseeable future.

The Celtics’ only new addition to the main roster will be this year’s No. 30 pick Baylor Scheierman. The incoming rookie has averaged 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in four Summer League outings. At six-foot-six with a versatile skill set and a confident 3-point shot, the Creighton product should fit right in with the Celtics.

With Boston essentially bringing back the same squad that just won Banner 18, Brunson and Hart made valid points about the Celtics and the target they now have on their backs. Teams will particularly look to solve the greatness of basketball’s hottest duo: Tatum and Brown.

Later in his podcast, Brunson said it best.

“As of right now … how can you guard Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum?”