The Boston Celtics are the defending NBA champions. It's why they feel so confident ahead of this playoff run. They believe they should still be the favorites to win it all.
Despite that fact, a lot of the media is picking Oklahoma City or Cleveland to win it all. Some are also taking the Los Angeles Lakers with Luka Doncic on the roster.
Even with all of the talk about how great some other guys are in the NBA, Jayson Tatum continues to put up some great numbers. He led the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists, and steals this year.
Tatum is the best player on the defending champions, and one former NBA player doesn't think that he gets enough respect from the rest of the league.
While speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, Quentin Richardson says that he believes that Tatum gets too much disrespect.
"The Boston Celtics are my pick to win the championship..
Jayson Tatum has been totally disrespected..
The whole narrative ruined his victory lap after they won the NBA Finals last year..
Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown were both definitely disrespected" ~ @QRich #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/u7UwUnOuV1— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 16, 2025
"I'd like to say something too about the Jayson Tatum stuff because there has been a lot of talk on this network, on social media, and everywhere else about 'Has he been disrespected' and everything. And I think people kinda missed the point on how he was disrespected and I totally feel that he was disrespected."
Richardson believes that Tatum should be more appreciated for what he has done in the last year or so. He led the team to the championship as the team's best player.
Richardson also believes that the Celtics are going to win the championship again this year. He believes that as long as everyone in the core is healthy, they are in a good position to win.
Tatum is certainly one of the best players in the NBA, even if he's not talked about as if he is one of the top five guys. If the Celtics win another title this year, he will certainly have a claim to be one of the best players in the league.
In the regular season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and six assists per game. He shot 45.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
