Wouldn't it be fitting if Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum propelled the Celtics past the Miami Heat, claiming the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy in the process?
NBA.com's Michael C. Wright counts Tatum and Brown among the "leading contenders" to win the Eastern Conference finals MVP award, which bears the name of the Celtics legend. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series between Boston and Miami tips off Tuesday night, and Wright reckons Tatum and Brown are poised to rival the Heat's Jimmy Butler for the trophy.
"Don't sleep on Brown’s ability to heat up in a hurry," Wright wrote about Brown on Tuesday.
" ... Miami can't just key in on Jayson Tatum in the Eastern Conference finals because the small forward has enough chemistry with Brown to routinely find the shooting guard for highlight-reel connections. Brown gobbled up a total of seven steals in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he’s totaled 17 thefts in 11 playoff outings in 2022."
Whilst everyone expects the Heat to "key" on Tatum, Wright believes Miami's effort might be futile, based on how Tatum performed in the decisive games of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"You can expect Miami to pour every resource into stopping Tatum, which might prove fruitless based off the 46-point performance the young star produced in Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semifinals," Wright wrote. "Tatum's point total tied for the second-most by a Celtic in an elimination game, according to StatMuse. Tatum simply cuts through defenses like warm butter. Even two-time Kia MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo took notice, and wished Tatum well after Boston knocked Milwaukee out of the playoffs. Tatum scored 17 of his 23 points in Game 7 against the Bucks in the opening half and started off the game shooting 5-for-5 from deep."
As for Tatum's and Brown's chances of winning the Bird Trophy, betting trends show growing expectations of a defensive-minded series. That means Butler, Tatum and Brown likely will encounter the fiercest of defenses throughout the series, opening the door for a surprise candidate to claim the award.
But who could it be?
