While Tatum has performed consistently well in recent years, Brown's more aggressive style and vocal leadership has sparked debate on television, radio and social media about whether he is Boston's true leader and top talent. Kidd was the first to dive into the debate at practice Saturday ahead of Sunday's Game 2, voting against Brown over Tatum, who had 16 points (on 6-of-16 shooting), 11 rebounds and five assists in a relatively quiet Game 1.
“Jalen is their best player,” Kidd said. “Defensively, he beat Luka. [Doncic] “He played full court. He got to the free throw line. He did it all. That's what the best players do. He played a high percentage on both defense and offense and he's been doing that all through the playoffs.”
Kidd's comments caught reporters in the room by surprise, but they became a major talking point during Boston's media appearances, deflecting attention from the Mavericks' struggles in Game 1. The Celtics' chemistry was a big advantage for both teams in Game 1, and Tatum criticized Kidd's praise of Brown as an attempt to undermine the team's unity.
“We are here because [Brown] “That goes for our team, and for a lot of our players,” Tatum said. “We all played a part to get to where we are, and I understand there are people out there who are going to try to create a rift between us, and I think that's a smart thing to do. We've been in a position for years where people have split us apart and said one of us should be traded or one of us is better than the other. This isn't the first time this has happened to us.”
Tatum and Brown, both No. 3 draft picks, have faced questions about whether they were the ideal pairing over their seven seasons together, and their poor performances in past postseasons, including a Finals appearance against the Golden State Warriors in 2022 and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance against the Miami Heat in 2023, have also sparked trade rumors and speculation about a possible breakup.
Boston has relied less on Tatum this year after acquiring Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in offseason trades. Tatum ceded opportunities to Boston's rookies, which resulted in lower points, field goal attempts and usage rate in 2023-24. Still, the Celtics won more games, posted a higher point differential and posted a better offensive efficiency rate than ever before in Tatum's career.
Tatum is averaging 25.3 points per game this playoff season, his lowest playoff average since his sophomore season in 2018-19, and shooting just 29.9% from 3-point range, the worst mark of his playoff career, but Boston is 13-2 in the playoffs and three wins away from their first championship since 2008.
“We've been very focused on our roles and our jobs,” said Brown, who is averaging 24.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the playoffs. “We've all had to make sacrifices and Jason's done it at the highest level and I respect him and I salute him for that. At this point, we just have to do whatever it takes to win and not let any outside interpretation come between us.”
Boston handily beat Dallas in Game 1 despite a below-average scoring performance from Tatum, who didn't take a shot in the first eight minutes, committed six turnovers and received significantly more defensive attention than Brown. In post-game comments, Tatum said he was “anxious and nervous like a little kid” about Boston returning to the Finals after losing in 2023.
With Porzingis back from a calf injury and an offensive system that consistently produces open 3-pointers in a lineup filled with quality perimeter shooters, the championship-favorite Celtics don't need Tatum to go toe-to-toe with Doncic shot-for-shot to win this series. To his credit, Tatum has largely avoided his worst habits of stopping the ball or settling for 2-pointers in tough competition, instead going for rebounds and playing energetic defense.
Dallas has won Game 2 in the past three series, including comeback wins from Game 1 losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Mavericks will need more than Kidd's mind games to compete on an even playing field in the Finals, after their ball movement stagnated badly in Game 1 and Doncic remaining as their only reliable source of offense.
Kyrie Irving will have to be more poised than he was Thursday, when he scored 12 points on 19 shots, and Kidd said Doncic will have to better read Boston's defense, which is designed to limit Dallas' corner 3-pointers and lob passes to the rim.
“Boston is going to give Luka a layup, so he's got to take it,” Kidd said. “They're not going to give him a lob, they're not going to give him a corner 3-pointer, so it's 2-for-2.” [in the paint]and we must take advantage of it.”
As Doncic tries to find ways to break down Boston's defense, attention will be focused on how Tatum responds to Kidd's tactics. The Celtics blew a 2-1 lead in the 2022 Finals and fell behind 3-0 in the 2023 Eastern Finals, earning them a reputation for mental fragility and ineffective play late in games.
Boston was an impressive 21-12 in games trailing by five points or less in the final five minutes during the regular season and is 4-0 in such games in the playoffs, and when the Mavericks came close to erasing a 29-point Celtics lead in Game 1, Brown ended any chance of a collapse with a 14-0 run late in the third quarter.
To put the demons of the past behind them once and for all, the Celtics must continue to prove they are older, wiser and more collapse-resistant.
“As long as we focus on the truth, the daily conversations and the relationships that we have with each other, it doesn't matter how they look at it,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said in response to Kidd's comments. “What goes on in our locker room, how we communicate with each other, how we relate to each other and how we treat each other on and off the court, that's what matters most.”
