The Boston Celtics will only go as far as Jayson Tatum takes them.
That continues to be true, even if their team is the most stacked in the game.
That’s why, even with the Celtics dominating more often than not, Tatum is getting a lot of heat for his dip in production.
NBA analyst Adam Taylor took to Twitter to defend the struggling Celtics star, stating that he’s only shooting poorly from the perimeter.
https://twitter.com/AdamTaylorNBA/status/1789282536046109096
Taylor pointed out that Tatum is shooting 26.8% on 5.9 attempts from beyond the arc per game, adding that he shouldn’t be criticized by the media after averaging 21 points, ten rebounds, and five assists per contest.
Truth be told, 21/10/5 is far from impressive for a franchise-caliber player like Tatum, especially considering he’s proved that he could average close to 30 points a night.
Of course, the team is winning, and that’s all that should matter.
However, Tatum has a long and well-documented history of falling short in the playoffs; that’s not a secret.
Every team needs a star to rely upon when things get tough.
He should be the Celtics’ go-to guy at this point in his career, and this dip in his production in the postseason should be a major concern with at least two more series ahead of the team.
It’s championship-or-bust for Tatum and the Boston Celtics; there’s simply no more room for excuses after the kind of team they’ve put together.
NEXT: Jaylen Brown Sends A Clear Message Ahead Of Game 3 Against Cavs