Jayson Tatum Talks Celtics Offseason, Team Chemistry During Basketball Camp

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum held his annual youth basketball camp in Foxboro, Mass. on Saturday, spoke with media members afterward, and touched base on a series of Celtics-related subjects.

Tatum was asked about the Celtics team chemistry — a hurdle which Boston, certainly in Tatum’s tenure, has battled for multiple seasons.

“We’ve all been in contact, just checking in on each other, see how they’re doing,” Tatum said, as seen via a video released by CLNS Media. “Everybody is traveling with their family and stuff right now, but probably next month, guys will start getting back in the gym. Some of us might be in LA together and we’ll work out, stuff like that.”

Tatum added: “Chemistry is half the battle. I feel like you can have a great team with great talent, and not necessarily jell together. You guys saw we figured it out in January and never looked back… it’s a little different, knowing that we got to a certain point and was so close. And we’re excited to get back to that, get back to that group because we’ve got unfinished business.”

The Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference (51-31) and fell just two wins short of an NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors.

On Tuesday, Tatum was skeptical about the reported rumors linking Jaylen Brown to an offer made to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant.

“I don’t believe everything I see on TV,” Tatum said when speaking to various reporters at the premiere of a new Showtime documentary, per Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky.

Last season, Tatum’s third straight Eastern Conference All-Star year, the 24-year-old averaged a career-high in points (26.9), rebounds (eight), and assists (4.4) — shooting 45.3% from the field, 35.3% from three, and 85.3% from the line.