'What kind of teammate would I be if I said no?': Jayson Tatum on winning 2023 NBA Finals after key offseason moves

Jayson Tatum firmly believes that the Boston Celtics can win the 2023 NBA Finals after the solid offseason their front office has put together

The Boston Celtics had a tremendous 2021-22 campaign, even though they ended up coming up short in the 2022 NBA Finals. At the face of their historic turnaround was Jayson Tatum, who helped Boston go as far as they did in the 2022 NBA postseason.

The Celtics loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Finals was tough, and it certainly wasn't Tatum's greatest moment. Tatum struggled throughout the series, and Boston was unable to overcome his lack of production against a tough Golden State squad.

Despite that, Tatum likes Boston's chances to make another deep playoff run next season, with the lone difference being that Boston will be the last team standing. After all, the Celtics have added two new contributors in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari to their roster without giving up anyone from their core eight-man rotation from last season. When Tatum was asked to assess Boston's chances at winning a title next season, he kept his response short and sweet.

“I mean, what kind of teammate would I be if I said no? We got this close, and we added two really good players. I think it makes us better.” – Jayson Tatum, The Athletic

Tatum is right to say that the Celtics have improved this offseason, to the point where they may be the favorites to win it all next season. Why wouldn't he believe that Boston has what it takes to make it back to the Finals next season and come out on top?

Of course, there have been rumors swirling about a potential trade involving Tatum's teammate Jaylen Brown for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, which would drastically change everything for the Celtics. But Tatum clearly feels like the C's roster is built to win, and he figures to be leading the way as Boston attempts to make it back to the Finals for the second straight season.