In some of the Golden State Warriors' losses this season — take their 119-104 loss to the New York Knicks, for instance — head coach Steve Kerr has been particularly upset regarding his team's effort following the game. In the aforementioned Knicks game, for instance, he called his team "totally undisciplined defensively" and viewed the loss as a result of "mindless" play.
But after a hard-fought game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, Kerr was not so much criticizing his team's poor play in the loss — though he did say that they got "killed" in the rebounding department — as he was lauding players on the opposing roster.
"Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown), they're part of that rare breed that we're all looking for in the NBA — guys who can do everything," Kerr said (via Taylor Snow of Celtics.com). "They have the size and the speed and quickness to guard every position. They have the skill set to score from any part of the floor. They can make threes, they can get out in transition and hammer dunks, they can score in the half-court using their footwork.
"So both guys, to me, are the modern archetype that we're all looking for. And what makes them even better is just their human qualities — their work ethic, the chemistry they generate on a team. They're fun guys to coach, fun guys to play with. But when you have that combination of being a really good person and having that kind of God-given ability, it's a great combination."
Ainge gave himself a little pat on the back upon hearing Kerr's comments — after all, he drafted them.
Both Tatum and Brown were productive on Tuesday night, with Tatum leading the Celtics in scoring with 27 points on 9-19 shooting, while Brown recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. And much of what Kerr analyzed rang true based on what we watched, especially that part about being able to "hammer dunks."
All of the traits Kerr mentioned were reasons why Ainge invested so much into these two star wings, selecting both of them with the third overall picks in their respective drafts. Though Tatum was drafted in 2017, while Brown was taken in 2016, the Duke product ascended to stardom first. This season, though, one can very reasonably argue that Brown has broken out and assumed the role of the team's most important player.
Boston is now 11-8, sitting in fourth place in the East, and fans are happy to see the star trio of Tatum, Brown and Kemba Walker back on the floor together. However, the unfortunate calf injury of Marcus Smart prevents the team from playing together at full health once again, though he could be back within a few weeks.
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