Team Leadership

Jimbodandy

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Jan 31, 2006
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This captain shit is unnecessary unless there's a clear person (people) for the role, and I'm not sure that there is here. Sure Marcus and Al seem to make sense in some ways from the outside, and so do Jaylen and Jayson in some ways. But it's not like this team had had a designated spokesperson in recent years. All of those guys have taken leadership roles publicly and privately (if you believe the reporting).

Seems like drama that we don't need. Maybe Udoka is a delegator in ways that Stevens isn't and this is just a way to streamline communication.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Dec 22, 2002
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This captain shit is unnecessary unless there's a clear person (people) for the role, and I'm not sure that there is here. Sure Marcus and Al seem to make sense in some ways from the outside, and so do Jaylen and Jayson in some ways. But it's not like this team had had a designated spokesperson in recent years. All of those guys have taken leadership roles publicly and privately (if you believe the reporting).

Seems like drama that we don't need. Maybe Udoka is a delegator in ways that Stevens isn't and this is just a way to streamline communication.
It's a nothingburger.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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Not really, a lot of NBA teams don't have captains, but in many sports the captain is a veteran who has a strong lockerroom presence rather than the best player. (see Varitek, Jeter in baseball, in Soccer the captain is rarely the best player, etc.)
OK, let me get your take on this postulation. The most important job of the Celtics brain trust is keeping Jason Tatum here and presumably that means keeping him happy, therefore he should get it if he wants it.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Dec 22, 2002
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OK, let me get your take on this postulation. The most important job of the Celtics brain trust is keeping Jason Tatum here and presumably that means keeping him happy, therefore he should get it if he wants it.
Maybe he'd rather not be handed something just because he wants it?
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
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Nov 2, 2007
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if naming Smart, Al or JB captain lessens Tatum's media sessions, I'm all for it.

JT pressers are stilted, awkward and offer little insight. He never seems all that thrilled to be doing it. The standard NBA media player questions, night after night, are tedious. So I don't blame him. Just let the young dad go home to Deuce. Grab quotes from the Coach(s), GM and let Smart/Al speak for the players.
 
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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Dec 24, 2002
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Who here has enough information to discuss the leadership dynamics of this team? And that is before we even define "leadership" and its value to an NBA team.

Its clear this sort of question bothers people because we should be able to discuss whatever we want and I agree. My question is simply what informs these pretty defined views. Hell, I can't even manage to keep up with my own workplace politics, let alone try to assess what is going on within an entirely different organization.

My guess is an NBA locker room is trickier given all that these people deal with in their day to day.
 

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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this would totally go to Tristan Thompson was he still here.

100%
 

nighthob

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Jul 15, 2005
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Brown had the same injury and surgery as Langford did the prior season. The start of training camp was at the earliest estimated timeline for a recovery from this injury, and that may be optimistic. So his comment is not surprising in that context. For whatever reason, Langford's recovery time was on the long end of the typical timeline, if not a bit longer.

It's better news that Brown said nothing about his knee.
While Langford was injured during the playoffs, thanks to covid that was late September. Theoretically Brown's much further along.
 

lexrageorge

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Jul 31, 2007
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While Langford was injured during the playoffs, thanks to covid that was late September. Theoretically Brown's much further along.
Langford didn't return until April 4th. I realize that he lost about 2-3 weeks due to his own bout with CoVid, but even so he would have been sidelined between 5 and 6 months had he not contracted the virus. Jaylen's last game was about 5 months ago. So, again, Brown's comments about his wrist make perfect sense given the timeline.
 

cardiacs

Admires Neville Chamberlain
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Jul 15, 2005
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OK, let me get your take on this postulation. The most important job of the Celtics brain trust is keeping Jason Tatum here and presumably that means keeping him happy, therefore he should get it if he wants it.
I was actually thinking Tatum wanted a captain for the team and he didn't want it to be him, as he does not want the burden of being the team leader / spokesman. Which is A.O.K. to me.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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I was actually thinking Tatum wanted a captain for the team and he didn't want it to be him, as he does not want the burden of being the team leader / spokesman. Which is A.O.K. to me.
That would make a lot of sense. But is it weird to trade your captain? Almost anyone else could be traded.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
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Jan 15, 2004
30,096
The “C” is silly to me. Your leader(s) is determined by who follows them. It isn’t by any designation. This is Tatum’s team regardless of whether a letter goes on his jersey or anyone else’s.
 

128

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May 4, 2019
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The “C” is silly to me. Your leader(s) is determined by who follows them. It isn’t by any designation. This is Tatum’s team regardless of whether a letter goes on his jersey or anyone else’s.
Has Tatum demonstrated much leadership to this point? Not saying he's incapable of being a leader, official or otherwise, but he's never struck me as having that kind of personality.