Morning Sports Update
“No matter how talented a team is, it still has to work together and figure it out.”
Jayson Tatum concurred with Gordon Hayward: In a recent podcast interview, former Celtics forward Gordon Hayward shared his candid take on why the 2018-2019 Celtics failed to live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied such a talented roster.
“In my eyes it was just, we all had too many agendas, and the agenda to win the whole thing was not the main one,” said Hayward on “Podcast P with Paul George.”
It was a blunt summary of how team that many picked to at least reach the NBA Finals failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs.
On Tuesday, current Celtic Jayson Tatum spoke to Boston Globe reporter Adam Himmelsbach, agreeing with his former teammate’s premise.
“I mean, yeah, that [expletive] was terrible,” Tatum told Himmelsbach. “You guys saw it. We’ve all talked about it. It didn’t work out how we wanted it to, and we were a very talented team but it just didn’t mesh the way we wanted it to. And that’s all right. Guys learned and everybody’s moved on from it. But what Gordon said was kind of right.”
Hayward also noted that each of the team’s talented players had different motivations, resulting in a lot of individual effort and less cohesion, another point that Tatum agreed with.
“Everybody wanted to do more,” Tatum explained. “And we didn’t quite understand how we all could coexist with each other. And you just learn from that. No matter how talented a team is, it still has to work together and figure it out.”
Now established as one of the clear leaders for Boston, Tatum said he has tried to learn from that earlier era. For his full comments, here’s Himmelsbach’s original piece.
Trivia: Gordon Hayward was picked ninth overall by the Jazz in the 2010 NBA Draft. The Celtics held the 19th pick that year. Who did Boston select?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: Drafted out of Texas, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2016.
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins defeated the Blue Jackets 4-1 on Tuesday, with James van Riemsdyk contributing a goal and two assists. Boston will play the Penguins tomorrow at TD Garden at 7 p.m.
Also from Tuesday night, the Celtics lost to the Thunder in Oklahoma, 127-123.
Tonight, Boston’s new Professional Women’s Hockey League team plays its first league game at Tsongas Arena against Minnesota at 7 p.m.
And on Sunday, the Patriots face the Jets in the regular season finale at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Caitlin Clark’s latest buzzer-beater: The Iowa star drained a deep three in a 76-73 win over Michigan State.
On this day: In 1986, the Celtics defeated the Nets 129-117. Larry Bird totaled an unusual box score for Boston, scoring a game-high 29 points with 10 rebounds and eight steals.
Elsewhere, the Patriots prepared to play the Raiders in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. New England would go on to win the game, 27-20, en route to the team’s first Super Bowl appearance.
Daily highlight: Katy Knoll gave Northeastern an overtime 2-1 winner against Yale on Tuesday with an exceptional piece of skill, scoring on one leg.
Trivia answer: Avery Bradley
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