Celtics Beat – Episode 610: Jayson Tatum Already Among Greatest Celtics w/ Sean Grande

Date: February 8, 2025
Host: Adam Kaufman (with Evan Valenti)
Guest: Sean Grande (long-time radio voice of the Boston Celtics)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the current state of the Boston Celtics, the whirlwind NBA trade deadline, the legacy and workload of Jayson Tatum, and broader league trends. Host Adam Kaufman and co-host Evan Valenti are joined by Sean Grande, offering fresh perspective from inside the team. Together, they navigate Celtics' recent performance swings, post-championship expectations, and the historical significance of Tatum’s trajectory—while also debating leaguewide shake-ups, Celtics’ home/road splits, and what it takes to be enshrined among the all-time franchise greats.

Main Topics & Discussion Points

1. Trade Deadline Recap & Celtics Inactivity

• [07:53–10:35]
  Adam summarizes the shocking player movement: from Luka and Mark Williams to the Lakers, to Jimmy Butler’s move to the Warriors. Celtics’ virtual inactivity—adding only Torrey Craig (FA) and trading Jaden Springer—prompts Brad Stevens’ comment:

  "When you are ready made for a championship as we are right now, it’s a boring ass day, trade deadline day… Everyone’s chasing us and we just need to live up to what we have on this roster." (10:28, Adam Kaufman paraphrasing Brad Stevens)

• [10:35–14:06]
  Sean unpacks how the second NBA “apron” (salary cap) now dictates much of the action. He also flags the larger NBA trend away from simply giving supermax contracts to superstars, referencing the Luka and Jimmy Butler situations.

• Sean Grande:

  "The Luca thing is about many, many, many things. One of them is the first pushback against the supermax... We will never ever truly know if Luca was going to leave Dallas in 2026. When you make deals like this, you erase that portion of the space time continuum." (12:26)

2. Celtics’ Current Form: Flip the Switch or Worry Sign?

• [17:21–23:41]
  Adam highlights Boston’s recent inconsistency (win/loss alternating, January), despite owning one of the NBA’s best records. Raises the classic “flip the switch” debate—when inconsistency is alarming, versus when it’s just championship malaise.

• Sean Grande:

  "If you want to look thin, surround yourself with fat people." (19:26, referencing 'Back to School')
  Sean compares this team to both last year’s dominant squad and the 2010 Celtics, who coasted but made the Finals anyway.
  “This team not only has last year’s championship, they also had the first third of this year when they were 21-5 with the plus 10 or plus 11...” (21:10)
  “The Celtics...are better right now than a lot of teams that went on to win the championship.” (22:44)

3. Postseason Threats: Who Worries the Celtics Most?

• [24:53–26:06]
  Knicks and Cleveland are identified as the chief threats in the East.

  • Sean worries about facing the Knicks without home court:

    “I don’t think the Knicks are going to lose Game 7 at Madison Square Garden two years in a row in the same round. And I just don’t think you want...not have home court because this city is going to be in a fervor...” (27:19)

  • Orlando was discussed as a concern earlier in the season due to their youthful defense, but recent struggles make them less threatening.

• [14:06–17:21]
  OKC in the West is lauded (“could win 70 games”), but Sean is less certain of their ability to survive unfavorable matchups or the gauntlet of Denver/Lakers in the West playoffs.

4. Historic Road Dominance & Respect Factor

• [29:03–31:45]
  Evan laments Boston’s lack of “Teflon” respect nationally despite an elite road record, comparing them to Denver/Jokic’s mystique.

  “Nobody’s won more games [on the road] than this team, outside of like Golden State since Jason Tatum’s been in the league.” (30:43, Evan Valenti)

• Sean notes their resilience:

  “They’ve lost games they probably shouldn’t have...but what have they done after those losses? The Celtics are 15 and one after a loss.” (30:55)

5. Jayson Tatum: Workload, Value & Legacy

• [37:20–54:41]
  Adam and Sean discuss Tatum’s durability, minutes, and position among the NBA elite and Celtics history:

  “No one is going to say Jason Tatum is one of the top three players in the league. Fine. But ask yourself this question: Would you have taken Luka Doncic...or Jason Tatum straight up?” (40:29, Sean Grande)
  “Jason Tatum, at 26 years old, is going to move into the top ten in Celtics history in scoring.” (41:42)

• Sean and Adam review Tatum’s all-time points at age 26 (he’s 7th in NBA history).

• What Would It Take for Tatum to Become “The” Greatest Celtic?

• [54:15–57:00]
  Sean outlines the sneaky power of longevity, stats, and winning for legacy.

  “Is Jason Tatum already one of the greatest? If Jason Tatum left tomorrow and retired, is Jason Tatum one of the top 20 Celtics of all time? Yep. Top 15. Probably. Like, this is where we are now. He’s 26.” (59:31)

  "The only message I give to everybody right now is that this is the '80s. ...These are the moments you're going to be romanticizing about years from now." (1:00:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the new NBA salary cap reality post-trade deadline:

  “The second apron dictated a lot of what happened here for, for better or worse, for teams.” (11:16, Sean Grande)

• Comparing current Celtics to the rest of the league:

  “With all of the things that have gone wrong...the Celtics...are the third best team in the league right now out of 30.” (21:58, Sean Grande)

• On the Celtics’ playoff road risks:

  “At some point, not unlike Pat Mahomes, your luck is going to run out.” (28:31, Sean Grande)

• On Jason Tatum’s undervalued greatness:

  “He does so many other things that he'll never get credit for....If Jason Tatum were playing in Charlotte...he would average 30 a game easily.” (38:33, Sean Grande)

• On Marcus Smart's Celtics legacy:

  “Is Marcus the best Celtic to have never won a championship?...and pretty soon you're basically with the Walter McCarty's and the D Browns and the...Reggie Lewis and guys like that that didn't win a 'chip and who...accomplished more for the Celtics than, you know, than Marcus did.” (66:11, Sean Grande)

Key Timestamps

• [01:25]–[03:15]: Warm-up, Super Bowl picks, and Jeff Lurie/Celtics sale rumors
• [07:53]–[14:06]: Trade deadline breakdown and the new NBA economic reality
• [17:21]–[23:41]: Celtics’ inconsistent regular season and “flip the switch” debate
• [24:00]–[29:03]: Road dominance, playoff path, and East threats (Knicks, Cavs, Magic)
• [37:20]–[43:54]: Jayson Tatum: workload, national perception, and all-time scoring
• [54:15]–[61:31]: Tatum’s path to all-time Celtics greatness and how NBA/media trends affect perception
• [64:22]-[68:39]: Marcus Smart’s career arc and accomplishments as one of the best non-champion Celtics

Tone, Banter & Side Conversations

• Conversational, irreverent exchanges about school pickup lines, the perils of public camera rolls vs. text messages, and Seinfeld trivia.
• Several nods to the grind of NBA road life, inside jokes (esp. about Celtics media/fan culture), and playful ribbing over podcast “emergencies.”
• Reflection on fandom, appreciating the present “golden era,” and the ever-fleeting nature of NBA dynasties.

Conclusion

The episode underscores how championship windows are fleeting, but the Celtics are squarely in another golden era—and fans should savor every night, every Tatum performance, and every classic playoff matchup. The team remains among the NBA elite despite flaws, injury risk, and increasing parity. Jayson Tatum’s place among Celtics legends is not just emerging—by almost any measure, it’s already here.

Listen for:

• [41:42]—The statistical context for Tatum’s Celtics scoring rank
• [59:31]—Sean Grande’s direct assessment of Tatum’s historical standing
• [66:11]—A surprising Marcus Smart “all-time greatest never to win a title?” debate

This recap omits ad reads, contentless banter, and podcast housekeeping to deliver a concentrated, engaging summary reflective of the original’s insights and camaraderie.