Following the Celtics‘ dramatic victory over the Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday, Jayson Tatum was named the Most Valuable Player of the series, making him the first-ever winner of the Larry Bird Trophy, according to the league (Twitter press release).
The NBA introduced the award earlier this month in an effort to honor the players who played crucial roles in leading their teams to the Finals. Last week, Warriors star Stephen Curry became the first player to win the Magic Johnson Trophy award as the MVP of the Western Conference Finals.
Tatum averaged 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game over the course of the seven-game series vs. Miami, playing big minutes (40.8 MPG) and putting up a shooting line of .462/.353/.860. He only had one poor performance in the series, when he scored just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting and turned the ball over six times in Game 3. He scored at least 22 points in the other six games.
The award was voted on by nine local and national media members who were covering the series. Tatum earned eight of nine votes, with Heat star Jimmy Butler receiving the only other vote, from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Butler averaged 25.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.0 SPG, and looked like the best player on the court in several games of the series — he was limited by a knee injury and scored just 27 total points from Games 3 to 5, but averaged 38.0 PPG in Games 1, 2, 6, and 7. He likely would’ve been the unanimous MVP pick if Miami had won the series.
Tatum will look to carry over his Eastern Finals success into the NBA Finals vs. the Warriors. The series will tip off in Golden State on Thursday — the full schedule can be found right here.
Over Horford, or even Jaylen Brown? Ok…
Also not even a single vote for Secaucus, Scott Foster, or Eric Spoelstra? That’s the real question I should have asked
Bruh, there were missed calls both sides. Celtics were the better team by far.
By far? They won the series 4-3, won gm7 by 4pts. They were the #1 & #2 seeds in the East. Very evenly matched teams, obviously
They were beaten resoundingly by the Heat in one game. The rest they beat themselves with inexperience. Yes, they’ve been to the conf. finals three times with JT but it was Udoka’s first go around and there were some tactical errors.
Jimmy Butler needs the keys to the city. What a hero. One of my favourite players for sure.
I think the world knows Jimmy is great but because his strengths aren’t particularly aesthetic he gets overlooked.
Hoping Embiid demands a trade. Embiid and somebody for Bam, Robinson, and Dipo…or something
The ref part was a joke. Not even sure who officiated games 3, 4, and 5, but I actually dont blame them, to be honest…
I’ve said over and over these are similar teams, and it was a make or miss series. I was also one of the only people here that picked Boston as the number 1 seed before training camp, to the point I remember people $#!++!<& on me for it
Taking back that max Strus 3 was corrupt
Good to see the Heat go down AND go down crying. The best team won.
Is there a reason you hate Florida teams so much? I see you throwing strays at the Marlins on both sites all the time lol…not that there is anything that wrong with that though. I’m a Marlins fan and do that
This series could have gone either way, to be sure. Very strange in level of play from one game to the next but to me, it had more to do with Butler versus Tatum and Brown more than anything else
I can’t remember a series in which other players were so inconsistent in providing help in the biggest moments
Hard to see Boston winning over the Warriors because of just that, Golden State has so many weapons
And because anything can happen in a short series, it wouldn’t surprise me if Boston somehow wins
But calling the Celtics the better team by far is a real stretch I know it’s the “new NBA” but TEAMS playing at a high level still generally beat the squads with one or two guys doing so
JB not gonna get his due credit until he retires or until he leaves Boston. Media/NBA are pretty set on making Tatum the new Kobe.
Which makes no sense b/c Jaylen Brown’s game is more similar. He plays like Kobe if he played team basketball. I also still think he is better than him (Tatum), as I have from the beginning, even though I like both guys. Tatum always reminded me more of Paul Pierce, who I actually preferred when I was a kid, back when people didnt give him as much credit
That being said, Al Horford should have won it. He was the difference in this series
Maybe. Thought to vote for a guy who averaged 56-6 points per game tho.
Tbh Tatum plays more like Kobe than anyone I’ve ever seen. Similar footwork, body type, they take similar shots, both incredible at making contested shots, both have unwavering confidence. JB reminds me more of Nique or Vince tbh. He has same mannerisms as Nique, similar aggressiveness & athleticism
I see more Pierce and young Melo with Tatum, but there are little mannerisms, like on his fadeaway, where I can see what you’re saying
Vince maybe on the rip throughs, and maybe sometimes the way he holds the ball when he is getting into the paint? I always felt Jaylen Brown was a team player Kobe/Jimmy Butler/Kawhi Leonard type, which makes sense b/c those guys all have similarities
Tatum plays more as a guard (like Kobe) than a forward (like Pierce/Melo). He’s lighter on his feet than those bulkier guys. The fact that you include Kobe as a team player is shocking lol I’ve never heard him described as a team player
Young Pierce was a 2 guard…
I also didnt say that about Kobe. I said Jaylen Brown plays like a team player version of Kobe; Like if he played team basketball
Oh ok I can dig that. Kobe was 1 of the greatest guards ever but def not what I’d call a team 1st guy lol… Pierce played the 3 for vast majority of his career lol he used his strength/size way more than his handle/length like JT. Kobe & JT both have smooth/easily marketable game, Pierce more herky jerky/old man style… JB plays allt like prime Mike Finley too but I feel like if Nique were playing now, he’d play exactly like JB
Pierce always had great footwork…also I think you might not remember him when he was younger
I think I see where you’re going with Nique and Finley on Brown, in terms of explosiveness/power, but I personally like the other comps better
Lol I definitely remember Pierce when he was younger. I remember him beasting at KU in fact. He was a forward there just like he was in Boston & everywhere else. He def always had good footwork but he was always bigger/slower than Tatum & Kobe are
We’ll have to agree to disagree, which is fine. Its semantics anyway. A lot of those guys have similarities
I see Brown more like a short Paul George. Tatum’s passing game and defense has him becoming a complete player. Prior to that I saw him as more of a volume shooter.
Both have something to work on this summer. Brown to work on his handle and Tatum on a post game.
TatumI like Sank’s description of Paul Pierce. I think he eas always a 3. He used to really work at outplaying Lebron.
But Tatum is nothing like Kobe, does not have the confidence to hold the ball up top and calmly know he will score. Tatum is still in the “Look ma no hands” stage and may always be. He twitches.
Not that I root for either.
But Tatum seems shocked by everything, probably due to withdrawing sometimes. A lot of 3s do, due to no definite responsibilties inside or out like the other positions. It’s almost what makes a 3, a 3.
Butler has amazing footwork… Every foot seems to land in the exact correct spot… No rush but quickly on point.
Which guy would you rather build your team around, 2018 Jayson Tatum 20yo, 1984 Clyde Drexler 21yo, 2006 Dwight Howard 20yo, 1987 Dennis Rodman 25yo or 2012 Paul George 21yo? Rank if possible…
Drexler by a landslide.
Drexler played higher than any guard I’ve seen… like he was unable to bend low. Like Julius Erving, but he was best as a 3, and was just too cool to stoop anyway. Talking 3s this page
Sometimes I forget to ask this question, although I think generally it’s usually implied, but here it’s not as obvious to me; what era/style are we talking about?
I personally don’t see era as really mattering that much tbh. Drexler & Rodman would both be as great today as they were in the 80s/90s & Tatum/PG would be just as great then as they are now. Basketball is basketball at the end of the day. These guys are the best in the world at it, they’d be able to adjust. All these guys (except Rodman) have been great in FIBA play which is a different style than they’re used to. These are all elite athletes with fairly to extremely high bball iq. Drexler would be a great 3pt shooter if he played now. Tatum would be a Drexler style 2guard if he played in the 80s… but for the sake of argument picture yourself as the Vancouver Grizzlies gm during theur expansion yr (1995) & these are the 5 best options, who do you build your franchise around?..
Only reason I asked is I’m looking at 2 of the greatest defenders of all time (possibly the 2 greatest), and its hard to ignore that, especially if I dont have to worry about injuries. Another reason I asked is that scoring is more prevalent now, where you can find guys that can score, even though wing players are way more valuable in general, so I think scoring is more valuable back then than it is now. Also, a skilled defensive 4 I feel like is more valuable now than it was back then, in general. Finally, a big that can defend every position kind of goes back and forth where in the super past, it’s really a big deal, but then in the 80s and 90s, you have so many bigs, but then now it’s a big deal again, at least at that level, even if they cant shoot (young Dwight shot more jumpshots though)…so that’s kind of where I’m thinking
I’d say scoring was just as prevalent in the 80s as it is now. A lot of the highest scoring games ever were in the mid80s. Scoring dipped in the 90s/00s but obv with the 3pt shot, limited hand checking & the higher skill level it’s back up. The 3pt shot is really the only major difference in the eras in my tbh. An even that isn’t that huge of a difference when making comps bc it’s pretty easy to imagine that great shooters in the 70s/80s before the 3pt era would still be great shooters now as well. Not sure exactly what you mean by skilled defensive 4s but good defensive 4s are extremely valuable in every era… also I def don’t remember Dwight ever taking many jumpshots as a youngster in the league lol
He had the corner jumpshot…
Skilled defensive 4s meaning guys that can put the ball on the floor and playmake, and defend multiple positions, including guards
I know the pace was high back then/scoring was high, but what I meant was that back then, if you could score, you had more value than you do if you’re just a scorer now. Guys were skilled for sure. Not suggesting they werent. I’m saying like guys that can score significantly at any point. There are way more guys that can do that now that arent even in the league, and you couldn’t say that back then
So, not Bryant Reeves. He didn’t hurt the Canadian Grizzlies, his extension did.
Drexler, followed by Drexler and Drexler.
U really going ham with the alt accounts today huh
A Celtic wins the 1st Larry Bird MVP trophy.
Tatum was the man. He earned it.
Tatum and Brown both have grown up. They played to win. And played both ways. Tatum has a big time game. But his D is not there yet. Browns D is imo.
Celtics showed their depth. It was a good series. The healthier team won. At this point there are no excuses.
Not a big fan of either. But I gotta go with the East. Go Celtics …..
Disagree. Butler was using Brown all series but when Tatum switched on him, Butler passed. Tatum is so long and he’s bought into being a very good defender. In the next few years he’ll be all defensive.
Both Tatum and Brown are very good defensive players, as is every single one of Boston’s 7 man rotation.
Did you watch last nights game. He blew by Tatum when ever he wanted. Nobody can guard Jimmy one on one. You do it as a team. And when you do guard him you set him up for help. That’s how you guard stars. Imo Tatum is not the D player Brown is. Not now. Just fact Brown wants to guard Jimmy should tell you something.
Brown can guard 1-4. Tatum can guard the 4 and a decent amount of 3s, and a few 2s, but not all of them at those 2 positions. He is an adequate defender, which was a question out of college. He improved significantly his first year or 2. He always was super polished offensively
I didn’t say he was the defensive player Brown was. I said he was a very good defensive player, which he is universally accepted as.
See, this is why this is a dumb award; it’s just going to go to the top player on each winning team every year
And what’s wrong with that? If you have an issue with it I suggest you have a deeper issue with the concept of awards.
Winning the conference is no mean feat and to be the best player on the team that does it is worthy of recognition.
Because the ‘big awards’ are regular season only, I like that they’re recognising post season excellence.
Butler was the best player, just saying, right?
Jayson Tatum was the best player entering the 2017 draft. I’ve believed back then I believed it for two reasons. His FT% and his DRB% . That’s a rare combination for a player his size.
Now, Tatum as become the best player in the NBA. MVP awards are just popularity contests. In today’s NBA, no big should win that award among others.
The problem with the Celtics was rhetorical lack of talent surrounding Tatum. I wanted Jamal Murray over Jaylen Brown, Jordan Poole over Romeo Langford, and was opposed to giving Marcus Smart an extension.
I expect them to handle GS in 4-5. The Warriors lack the frontcourt scorers unlike the Nets, Bucks, and Heat. That means the Celtics can focus on just perimeter defense on which they have the best in the NBA.