Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is not currently looking like the champion he is.
He has had serious trouble with his shot during his second-round series against the New York Knicks, and his team is now deep in a 2-0 hole.
But instead of passing the buck, Tatum is wholly accepting responsibility and vowing that he will be better.
Speaking with ESPN after his team’s painful 91-90 loss, Tatum was brutally honest.
“I take full ownership of the way that I’ve played in this series and can’t sugarcoat anything,” Tatum said Thursday. “I need to be better, and I expect to be a lot better.”
Tatum is a proven champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and one of the best young players in the league.
But right now, he is struggling.
He has gone 12-of-42 from the floor during his series against the Knicks and is just 5-of-20 from beyond the three-point line.
Many fans have said that Tatum appears to be settling, posting up questionable three-pointers instead of using his size and length in the paint.
The Knicks have been able to outplay and outsmart Tatum multiple times during the first two games, and it has cost the Celtics dearly.
If Tatum isn’t able to get his act together, the Celtics could be doomed, and the number of people who claim Tatum isn’t a top-five player will only grow.
But if he is able to right the wrongs and get back on track, the Knicks could be in trouble.
There is no doubt that Tatum and his team are usually an offensive nightmare, but they aren’t performing like one right now.
This series is headed to New York, which only makes things harder.
In other words, if Tatum is going to prove what he’s capable of, he has to do it now.
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