Kendrick Perkins Has Ridiculous Take on Celtics' Jayson Tatum originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Celtics looked like a great team throughout the first two and a half quarters of their first game against the Detroit Pistons, proving once again that they can compete with and beat anybody on any given night.
Expectations remain that the Celtics will be among the best teams in the NBA this season, despite the Eastern Conference's talent and all the moves they made this offseason.
Trading Jaylen Brown definitely raises questions, but veteran Paul George looks to be just as good as anyone could have hoped.
George still has to prove he can be this guy, but there was plenty of reason to be excited.
As for whether the Celtics are contenders right now, that's where things get a bit tricky. I'm of the belief that Boston can win a championship this season, mainly because of how talented Jayson Tatum is and Joe Mazzulla being one of the best coaches in the NBA while having a great supporting cast, but that isn't the case for former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, who doesn't believe Boston is a contender at the moment.
“The question is: are the Celtics contenders this season? And the answer is hell no,” Perkins said, H/T Clutch Points. “I don't care about them winning regular season games; I don't care about them winning the Atlantic Division. Are they legit title contenders? The answer is hell no. They don't have the personnel. Jayson Tatum is on the clock.
“When you talk about players that are under the most pressure, Jayson Tatum is one of those guys that's under the most pressure because of what Jaylen Brown displayed, especially in the regular season carrying this team. When you think about the city of champions — the Boston Celtics — it's just like the Los Angeles Lakers. Championships or bust.”
It's almost unfair to say that Tatum is on the clock when he's already won a championship and has pretty much done everything that any player in NBA history can only wish of doing.
However, this is the Celtics, and playing in Boston for such a historic organization will always bring pressure.
That's not to say what Perkins said is unfair in some regards to Tatum being under the spotlight, but pressure and the spotlight are two completely different things. He's already proven he can win and doesn't have to do that anymore.