Jayson Tatum thinks Kristaps Porzingis can be the Celtics' Pau Gasol / News - Basketnews.com

Jayson Tatum said Kristaps Porzingis can increase the Celtics' title potential, just like Pau Gasol did at the Lakers.

Credit: AP Photo/Charles Krupa Credit AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Last November, Kristaps Porzingis appeared firm that his chemistry with Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would improve as the season progressed.

Jayson Tatum

Team:Boston CelticsPosition:SFAge:25Height:203 cmWeight:93 kgBirth place:St. Louis, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

“It’s gonna take time,” said Porzingis. “But honestly we do have a lot of good moments, a lot of good moments where we find each other, where we hit each other with some good passes and start to reach each other more and more.

Now being up close I really feel that and see that from them. So, they just want to win. They want to do the right thing, and that makes it easy for everybody.”

Jayson Tatum has averaged 26.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 33 games with Kristaps Porzingis in his career. The Latvian big man has averaged 19.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33 games with Jayson Tatum this season.

The two combine to average 36.6 points per game this season. The Celtics, who are 37-11 (best NBA record), have been on the verge of title contention for years.

In a recent chat with the media, Tatum opened up on various topics relating to his life, his NBA career and his Celtics teammates. Speaking about Porzingis, Tatum was so enthusiastic that he suggested that the Latvian could be for the Celtics what Pau Gasol was for the Los Angeles Lakers after 2008.

“Kobe really needed Pau for those last two championships that they won together,” Tatum said per ESPN's Ramone Shelburne. “Whatever path that I’m on and we’re on, KP really feels like the missing piece.”

The Lakers’ decision to pair Kobe Bryant and Gasol together led to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 and three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two championships.

Since Tatum and Jaylen Brown joined forces in Boston, the Celtics have made the Eastern Conference four times, which also includes making the NBA Finals in 2022.

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