Celtics

Mike Gorman doesn’t believe Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown can be Celtics’ leaders this year

"I think we need someone right now who is 28-30, who has been around the league."

By Tom Westerholm

April 28, 2021

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NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics play-by-play announcer Mike Gorman has not held back criticizing the team this season.

In February, Gorman said he wanted to see Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown share the ball more consistently. On Wednesday, in an appearance on 98.5 with Toucher and Rich, Gorman once again criticized the team in the wake of its loss to the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder.

“You don’t want to be really negative, but what they are doing on the court is mostly negative,” Gorman said. “If you’re doing your job to describe it, you’ll get a lot of people angry.”

Gorman listed a variety of issues he believes are ailing the Celtics. He noted that the Celtics need consistent health. He thinks Jayson Tatum needs a couple of nights off (“There’s a lot going on in this kid’s life for 23 years old, and I think he needs a rest,” Gorman said). He believes the Celtics need someone who can check Marcus Smart at times. 

Mostly, Gorman believes the Celtics need veterans. He was asked by the hosts whether he thinks Tatum and Brown can be the Celtics’ leaders going forward.

“I don’t think so,” Gorman said. “I think we need someone right now who is 28-30, who has been around the league. I thought Kemba [Walker] might be that guy, but he’s just been constantly plagued with injuries. He’s never been given the opportunity or had the opportunity to play five, six, seven games in a row. It’s always, can’t play the second night of a back to back, something is tweaked. Now he’s got a hip problem, he’s not going to play tonight. So he’s been kind of snakebitten from an injury point of view.

“I think they were looking at him as that presence of a 28 to 30-year-old guy who has been around and can keep the younger guys not so much in check because I don’t think they are out of control, but just take the responsibility off of them for being the leaders of the team and step forward and be the leader himself. Again, we just don’t have that guy.”

Mike Gorman tells @Toucherandrich he doesn’t feel Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can be the Celtics leaders moving forward. pic.twitter.com/D9WYmGVPfP

— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) April 28, 2021

Gorman added that the Celtics’ front office is well aware of the issues.

“I’m not saying anything that Danny doesn’t know well,” Gorman said. “But he’s just unable to get them at the price he’s willing to pay right now.”

The Celtics have lost three games in a row. They face the Hornets on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.