With Giannis and the Bucks out of the picture, this postseason presents a clear opportunity for Jayson Tatum to lead the Celtics back to the Finals and finish what he started last year before the Warriors sent them home early. While the Cs are still very much alive in the Eastern playoff race, they’ve looked vulnerable at times and have shown a tendency to let their foot off the gas way too often.
Speaking on First Take this week, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith pointed the finger at Jayson Tatum and called on him to be more consistent on both ends of the floor.
“Jayson Tatum is the best player on the team, he is not the best player in the postseason over the last two years… Jaylen Brown has been a more reliable asset for the Celtics.”
.@stephenasmith believes Jaylen Brown has been more reliable than Jayson Tatum in the playoffs 👀
"Jayson Tatum is the best player on the team, he is not the best player in the postseason over the last two years. … Jaylen Brown has been a more reliable asset for the Celtics." pic.twitter.com/GZfkpk6ysV
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 5, 2023
As one of the best scorers in basketball, there is no questioning Tatum’s talent and he has shown more than enough to be considered a Top 10 player in the world. These playoffs, however, have not been his best display of basketball and his 7-point effort on Wednesday left many Celtics fans concerned about what we can expect from him moving forward.
Will Jaylen Brown Leave The Celtics?
To make matters worse for Boston, the ascension of Jaylen Brown is threatening to disrupt their star-studded core. After making some questionable comments to the media, speculation rose that Brown may consider leaving the Celtics to lead a team of his own.
“Jaylen is 26 years old,” a Western Conference coach said, per Sean Deveney of Heavy. “He is maybe the best No. 2 option in the league, or right there with LeBron (James) and AD (Anthony Davis), or Devin Booker-(Kevin) Durant in Phoenix. It is a good thing to be the best No. 2 option, but at his age, I don’t think Jaylen sees it that way. He is good enough to be a No. 1 option for half the teams in the league, and maybe he wants that challenge.”
If Brown does end up leaving, it will be the ultimate test for Tatum. If he’s really the generational superstar the Celtics are convinced he is, he should manage to keep the Celtics at least somewhat relevant without Brown at his side.
Of course, we’ll find out soon enough how it all plays out for Boston.
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