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Bston Celtics wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have become rising stars in the NBA. Despite their talent, Boston (23-22) is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
Many have wondered this season if the pairing will work for the long term. Some have even said Boston should try to trade one. In an article with Jay King of The Athletic, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens talked about how he still believes the team's best future involves both players.
“In a day and age where the versatility of your team is really, really important … those two guys make a lot of sense to build around,” Stevens said.
After an offseason in which the Celtics staged a major overhaul of their roster, there was hope Boston could start to emerge further in the Eastern Conference. The franchise has reached the playoffs for seven straight seasons, including making the Eastern Conference finals in 2017, '18 and '20.
The Celtics have struggled this year but have shown recent signs of life. Boston has won seven of its last ten games after slumping to a season-worst three games below .500 at 16-19 on Dec. 29.
When asked about the roster's makeup, Stevens reiterated that Brown and Tatum aren't Boston's problem.
"At the end of the day, I think they're by far the least of my concerns," Stevens said.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum finding their rhythm
The pairing of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum is one of the most dangerous in the NBA when they are rolling. Even so, the Celtics have struggled this year.
The team made waves in the offseason when longtime coach Brad Stevens joined the front office. After that, the organization promoted longtime assistant Ime Udoka to be the new man in charge.
Their combination of Tatum and Brown's size and versatility on both sides of the ball gives the Celtics something rare to build around. Tatum is in his fifth season, making the All-Star team in each of the past two years. Brown is in his sixth season and was an All-Star for the first time last season.
Although Tatum is often viewed as a superstar, Brown has continued to take strides forward as well.
Tatum has averaged 25.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this season.
During the Celtics' strong 10-game stretch, Brown averaged 26.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 49.2% (40.0% from 3-point range).
Guess the Lakers players!
