The Boston Celtics are at the center of a spirited debate as the 2023-24 NBA season kicks off, with the focus on who should hold the title of the team’s second-best player. The discussion started on October 14 when Jared Weiss, a contributor to the “Celtics Beat” podcast, expressed his opinion that Jrue Holiday, a recent addition to the team, could potentially surpass Jaylen Brown as the Celtics’ second-best player.
Weiss’s assertion was clear: “I think Jrue Holiday is the third-best player on this team now and honestly could give Jaylen Brown a run for the second-best player on this team, and I would want to maximize his time on the floor.”
However, not everyone in the Celtics’ community was in agreement. Dan Greenberg quickly offered a rebuttal, suggesting that for Jrue Holiday to take the mantle of the second-best player, something significant would have had to go wrong with Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis.
“As good as Holiday is as a player and as important as he is going to be for the Celts to win the title… if he ends up being their 2nd best player things have gone drastically wrong with both Jaylen and Porzingis,” Greenberg pointed out.
The conversation surrounding the Celtics’ pecking order highlights the uncertainty about the team’s potential for the upcoming season. Jayson Tatum, the Celtics’ young star, is at the center of these discussions. His progression into a bona fide superstar will be pivotal for the team’s chances of clinching an NBA championship.
Tatum has faced scrutiny for his performance in previous playoff series, particularly during the 2022 NBA Finals and Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. While an ankle injury played a role in some of these struggles, fans and analysts alike believe he should have achieved a higher level of play.
Greenberg underscored that determining the second-best player on the Celtics might be a moot point, as Tatum’s performance will have a more significant impact on the team’s fortunes. The consensus is that Tatum needs to make the leap into the ranks of superstars, similar to players like Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, or Nikola Jokic, during the playoffs and finals for the Celtics to have a realistic shot at capturing their 18th NBA championship.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla faces the challenging task of organizing the Celtics’ roster, but it is clear that Jayson Tatum’s role as the team’s number one player is pivotal. If he fails to meet the high expectations and make that superstar leap, the star-studded Celtics could be at risk of falling short in the upcoming season.
