Steve Kerr has been in this position many times in the past — both as a coach and as a player. Be that as it may, the Golden State Warriors head coach knows that the last thing his team needs to do right now is to underestimate their opponents as they prepare to take on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Coach Kerr is well aware of how dominant Jayson Tatum has been throughout the playoffs. As a matter of fact, the Warriors coach went as far as saying that he considers the Celtics star to be one of the top players in the NBA today (h/t C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle):
Kerr called Tatum “one of the very best” players in the league because of his rare combination of size, strength and skill. And Brown’s game has similar qualities. They’re different players compared to those the Warriors have seen on the wing this postseason. Says all five Warriors on the court must be prepared to embrace the challenge.
Apart from Tatum, coach Kerr also knows that the Warriors must be wary of Jaylen Brown. Together, these two stars have led the Celtics to a truly impressive path to the Finals, which includes taking out Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champs Milwaukee Bucks, and most recently, the top-seeded Miami Heat.
As Kerr said, the Warriors must be ready to face these two stars for every single minute of this series.