The Boston Celtics are Jayson Tatum’s team, and as such, they’re going to march to his beat.
That means they’re not going to win a lot of basketball games with Jaylen Brown out and him failing to live up to his standards.
Tatum has hit a bit of a wall as of late, struggling after posting MVP-caliber numbers through the first half of the season.
Those struggles were on full display during their loss to the New York Knicks, as he scored just 14 points on 6/18 shooting (1/9 from three) and was ejected with roughly under four minutes left to play.
However, Al Horford thinks there’s nothing to be worried about when it comes to Tatum.
He explained how the NBA season is such a long grind, so it’s only normal to expect some ups and downs along the way.
“It’s a long season,” Horford said after the loss. “Jayson’s been playing — as we all know — at an MVP level for most of the season. If you can go all 82 playing like that, that’s just tough. There’s going to be ups and downs. He’s the last guy that I’m worried about.”
"He's the last person I'm worried about."
Al Horford on Tatum's shooting struggles the last few games pic.twitter.com/JRRFlj6omT
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) February 28, 2023
Horford is right on point there, as it’s nearly impossible to keep that pace up throughout a full 82-game season.
Also, Brown sitting out with an injury means defenses can focus on messing with Tatum’s rhythm on nearly every possession, and any superstar needs a star sidekick to thrive in this league.
Tatum’s talents have never been put into doubt, and the 24-year-old has already established himself as one of the elite players on Earth.
However, some still have questions about his character when the game and the season are on the line, so this would be a perfect time for him to step up and silence those few critics once and for all.
NEXT: Jayson Tatum Comments On Being Ejected In Celtics Loss
