Celtics' Jayson Tatum views NBA Finals return as second chance

BOSTON -- After coming up short in his first trip to the NBA Finals two years ago, Celtics star Jayson Tatum says he views this return to the league's championship round as a second chance at achieving his ultimate goal as a player.

"It's a lot that myself, and we, can learn from that experience being in the Finals, and this time, this go-around is a lot different," Tatum said after Saturday's practice. "Obviously, we've been there before, we came up short. And a great opportunity to make it to the Finals again. You don't always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can.

"It's another series that we gotta win."

Playing through a wrist injury in the 2022 Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points but shot 31.5% from 2-point range, including going 6-for-18 from the field in a Game 6 loss at TD Garden as the Golden State Warriors went on to celebrate their fourth championship of the  Stephen Curry era on Boston's home floor.

It has taken two years for the Celtics to get a chance to avenge that result, after losing in seven games in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat -- again seeing their season end at home in Boston. Tatum sprained his ankle in the opening moments of that loss, helping prevent Boston from becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series.

Now Boston finds itself back -- and against a familiar foe in Kyrie Irving, whom Tatum spent the first two years of his career playing alongside. And although the rocky 2018-19 season, and Irving's eventual departure in free agency for the Brooklyn Nets, makes Irving's return one of the dominant storylines of the Finals, Tatum said the opportunity to play with one of the league's superstars early in his career was a tremendous learning opportunity.

"Obviously there were some ups and downs, but I think, for me, being a first-, second-year player, being around a superstar, essentially, every day and seeing how to navigate that space," Tatum said, "and then obviously on the court, he's one of the most talented guys I've ever seen.

"So it seems like a very long time ago, but I've got a lot of great memories from having [Irving] as a teammate."

Another dominant storyline: Kristaps Porzingis -- both his health status, after missing the past four weeks and 10 playoff games with a calf strain, and his reunion with his former team in the Mavericks. As for the health portion of things, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Saturday that Porzingis participated fully in practice, although he indicated there would be days of heavier work ahead as they begin to ramp up for the Finals and optimize having 10 days between series.

Asked about what would go into the decision to reinsert Porzingis into the starting lineup or have him come off the bench, Mazzulla said the choice will come down to determining how Porzingis can best help the Celtics win games.

"That kind of just goes down the line for everyone," Mazzulla said. "So when KP's at his best, he's been tremendous for us. We expect that from him, and we know he'll give that to us. And as far as everything else, just what goes into winning is the most important thing. What gives us the best chance to win each particular game, each particular possession and each particular matchup."

For his part, Tatum praised Porzingis for his willingness to fit into what the Celtics were doing and make himself an essential part of a 64-win team this season, a player who will be a critical part of Boston's hopes of raising an 18th championship banner over the next few weeks with his ability to both protect the rim defensively and offensively stretch the floor -- and operate out of the post, where he struggled in Dallas.

"KP essentially did exactly what we needed him to do the entire season," Tatum said. "Whether it was punishing switches or space the 5-man, being in the corner, sometimes that might be going possessions without touching the ball. Or it may be, when they're switching, we give him the ball five times in a row. Joe talks about everybody's, just, open-mindedness to whatever we're trying to do.

"We switch things up a lot, and we have so many talented, gifted players on the offensive and defensive end. Everybody's just got to be open to trying to different things. And I give KP a lot of credit, especially somebody as talented as he is and obviously as tall as he is. A lot of the big guys may be stuck in their ways doing what makes them comfortable. He got outside his comfort zone a little bit, and it made us a better team."