Why Evan Turner thought a young Luka Doncic was at Jayson Tatum's level
09/06/2024 12:28 PM
Coaches are meant to inspire their players, but former Boston Celtics assistant Evan Turner took a different approach in February of 2021. During a regular season matchup between the C’s and the Dallas Mavericks, he told ex-Celtic Jeff Teague that Mavs star Luka Doncic would beat them if the game came down to the wire.
Turner was a household name at Ohio State and spent 10 seasons in the NBA, so it’s safe to say he had an eye for basketball talent, via the Club 520 Podcast.
“We’d be in the back of the bench and always have these crazy debates,” Turner recalled. “I was the first person that really told [Teague] how cold Luka was.”
StoryTime with Teague & ET @thekidet finally pulled up to 520!https://t.co/0q1SPxhb6xpic.twitter.com/taO5Xn50Hs
— SBWells (@wellssssssssss) September 5, 2024
Teague wasn’t buying it, as he was confident his star teammates, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, would secure the win in Dallas.
“‘This man kinda lazy. [Doncic] just not doing enough for me. He’s whining,'” Turner remembered Teague saying. “”JB and JT are getting rid of this man.'”
Instead of agreeing with his fellow Celtic, Turner re-emphasized his confidence in Doncic’s abilities.
“‘Luka him,'” Turner said on the bench. “‘Bro I’m telling you, in the clutch if it gets close, we’re not going to win.'”
Just as Turner predicted, the contest got close and Doncic buried the Green Team. With 0.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Slovenian sensation drained a step-back triple over two defenders to earn a 110-107 victory.
BUZZER-BEATER INCROYABLE DE LUKA DONČIĆ POUR LA VICTOIRE FACE AUX CELTICS pic.twitter.com/5glqiV65Vv
— Dallas Mavs France (@DallasMavsFr) February 24, 2021
While such a tough shot would demoralize most teams, Teague and Turner admitted they were a little excited when it happened.
“[Luka] hit the shot I looked at [Turner], and he said, ‘I told you,'” Teague said while laughing. “We work for the Celtics and he’s like, ‘I told you!'”
After that clutch 3-pointer, Teague began to believe in Doncic. However, that doesn’t mean he was taking them over Tatum or Brown. The same can’t be said for Turner. When the Celtics returned to the locker room and Tatum asked if Doncic was better than him, Turner almost argued that he was:
“Damn near,” Turner replied to Tatum. “Bro, he’s my favorite player.”
Turner wouldn’t let the story end on that note though. He later praised Tatum and called him “one of his favorite players ever.”
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics avenged that moment years later
Following that loss to Dallas, things didn’t improve for the C’s. They went 21-20 from that point forward, finishing the shortened season 36-36 overall.
As a result of Boston’s mediocre record, it was rewarded with a spot in the play-in tournament. Tatum dropped a whopping 50 points to propel the Celtics past the Washington Wizards, yet the 2020-21 campaign didn’t last much longer.
Injuries destroyed the Green Team, as Brown, point guard Kemba Walker, and center Robert Williams III all missed multiple playoff games. Tatum did his best to lead his team against the star-studded Brooklyn Nets, but the trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden proved to be too much. Brooklyn eliminated Boston in five games, giving the Celtics their earliest postseason finish in five years.
When 23 year old Jayson Tatum scored 50 points without Jaylen Brown to beat the superteam Nets https://t.co/bwEFSiBVSqpic.twitter.com/dWhOjeXso0
— Adam (@CelticsAdam34) June 22, 2024
Although this dismal season was disappointing, especially given the Celtics’ high standards, it ironically planted the seeds for a championship in 2024. In the wake of the first-round exit, Celtics coach Brad Stevens moved to the front office. As President of Basketball Operations, Stevens has strengthened the Celtics’ roster with almost every move he’s made.
The loss to Brooklyn also resulted in a beneficial trade in the offseason that subtracted an injured Walker and added dependable center Al Horford. Then at the trade deadline in February, Stevens brought in former San Antonio Spur Derrick White. This was an unsung deal at the time, yet it would certainly pay off in the future.
"Such a blessing to be a part of this roster… they made me a better player, a better person."
An emotional Derrick White on getting traded to Boston and winning a championship pic.twitter.com/7KcFE3nPnV
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 18, 2024
Three years later, the Celtics are reigning NBA champions. And to add to the irony, they accomplished their ultimate goal in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Mavericks, who were led by none other than Doncic and Irving.
While Doncic dazzled in 2021, Tatum got revenge on the biggest stage in basketball. He averaged more assists per game than Doncic for the series and even notched more potential assists. Additionally, in a championship-clinching Game 5, Tatum outdueled Doncic and had a game-high 31 points and 11 assists.
The Celtics and Mavericks will meet again next season, with games on January 25th and February 6th. These showdowns will give Doncic a chance for retribution and provide Tatum with an opportunity to display his dominance.
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