The Details Of The Secret Preseason Meeting Of The Celtics Top 6 Players Show Exactly Why Jayson Tatum Is The Perfect Leader For The Franchise

Jesse D. Garrabrant. Getty Images.

A few weeks ago we learned from Jrue Holiday about this supposed meeting that took place right before the season with the Celts top 6 guys, with the topic at hand being roles/sacrifice/minutes so that everyone would be aligned to start the season. A great way to get ahead of any potential drama and make sure everyone was on the same page with the bigger goal in mind at all times. 

Until today, we didn't really have any idea what was actually said in that meeting. And while I'm sure there are still some details that remain private, Tatum gave us an inside look at what went down on a preseason meeting that could very well be the most important gathering of the entire Celtics season

One of the challenges for players like Tatum (and to a lesser extent Brown), was now the time had come for them to truly step up as leaders. I'm not someone who thinks Tatum wasn't a leader before this summer's trades and don't think you have to yell and scream like KG in order to lead effectively. but the point is, there's no more security blanket. Everything that happens with this team now falls on the shoulders of their two best players, especially from a leadership standpoint.

That's exactly why every Celts fan needs to read this story. Just look at some of these quotes

"I wanted us to get in the room and talk about it," Tatum told ESPN. "We all are human and have feelings, and I opened the floor and basically said, 'There's six of us. Only five can play at one time. One of us is not going to finish the game all the time.

"Whether it's fair or not, me and JB are probably going to always start, and always finish the game. But we have to be held to a different standard and be able to be coached differently. Whether it's KP and Al, one of you guys may not finish a game, and you have to be OK with that."

As they say, the truth hurts sometimes. This is why establishing roles and making sure everyone is on the same page is important. Tatum's right too, regardless of how they're playing, about 99.9% of the time both he and Jaylen are going to be on the floor in the biggest moments. You may not agree with that idea, but that's the reality. They are both the franchise guys. That means that even on a night where maybe someone else had it going, chances are they may find themselves on the bench to finish a game and they simply have to be OK with that. 

Personally, I don't fully agree with this idea. In my opinion, the only player on this roster who should operate under this rule is Tatum. If a non Tatum player is having a disasterclass of a game, Joe should feel empowered to make a decision that puts the team in the best position to win, something that everyone also has to be on board with. For example, Derrick White has clearly shown he's arguably the 2nd most important player at the end of games, so to me I want him on the floor no matter what. If the Celts need to close double big due to a matchup and Derrick is playing well, I want him on the floor.

Tatum has openly talked about the impact Horford has had on him. And he said their relationship was a significant factor in wanting to get everyone in a room before the season began, to make sure Horford -- or whoever wasn't starting -- wouldn't feel isolated or left out.

"It had a lot to do with Al," Tatum said. "I got so, so much respect for him, and knowing that he might be the guy coming off the bench and I didn't want it to just be a thing where we got new guys in, and it's like, 'All right, Al you're coming off the bench.'

"I know how much he's meant to this organization, how much he's meant to me. And just to have that talk … basically we got six starters, and one of us has to come off the bench on any given night. I give Al a lot of credit."

We all knew that when this roster was formed, the logical person to come off the bench was Al. That's certainly not an easy ask for a guy who is so important to what the Celts do, and has been a starter in the league for about 99% of his career. 

So for Tatum, as the best player, to recognize that and have that be a motivating factor to bring everyone together and hash this out is exactly what a good leader does. He understands who Al is and how important he is. He respects what he means to this team. I think there's something to be said about not hanging Horford out to dry and throwing out your old toy just because you got something new and fun to play with.

This is how you keep the buy in. Horford has every night to be a little pissed and say fuck that this idea, but it's much more likely to get someone to ride along with you and buy in when they feel acknowledged and respected. Going about it this way prevents any sort of future resentment in my opinion, which is exactly what you want. 

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"This was a time where, if you're not OK with it, let's talk about it," Tatum said. "I didn't want everybody to, before the season started, say, 'Yeah, I'm, I'm fine with it. Whatever.' And then, you know, we'll lose a couple games, and then things build up.

"It offered a time for us to all be on the same page and express that we were OK. … It was a great meeting."

This is it right here. This is my favorite part. Part of being a good and effective leader is communication. Having and honest dialog where it's not just everyone agreeing just to agree is how true chemistry builds. Honestly, now hearing all the details it really reminds me of the last time the Celts were in this position

That final shot question/answer still gives me chills.

Sacrifice was one of the most important parts of why the Big 3 worked. If they could figure it out and find a way to win a title, so can this group. But it started at the top. Pierce had to be open to sacrificing despite the Celtics being his franchise. Ray had to sacrifice from going from being THE GUY on his teams to the #3 on this one. I would bet my life that the three of those guys had a similar preseason meeting to what we're learning about the 2023 Celts. 

Time will obviously tell if this meeting truly worked. We'll see how things look after the first real skid or signs of adversity. We'll of course see how things look in the playoffs when it matters most. But so far? Based on the 11-3 sample? It looks like this was the exact thing this team needed to ensure they got off to a great start

"I think if we want to be the team that we envision ourselves to be, I think that was a key moment for us," Porzingis said, "just to start off the season with the right mindset and right responsibility to each other."