Jayson Tatum will be in an interesting situation with his expectations on the Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum is going to find himself in one of the most unique positions in the NBA. He set a remarkable standard last season, and is expected to be a main contributor on a championship contending team, before reaching legal drinking age.
Those are the kind of expectations that no one is supposed to be dealing with, but it still does not feel like Tatum is under that kind of pressure. The Celtics are going to ask a lot of Tatum, and he is going to have to step up in big ways if the Celtics want to reach their ultimate goal.
If, however, things do not go as smoothly as people expect, and Tatum has a bit of a sophomore slump next season, that still does not change that much for his future.
The Celtics are in the best position in the NBA to compete right now, while having the brightest future in the NBA. Tatum being a main contributor for a championship right now is one side of the expectations, and what he can become in the future is the other side.
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Tatum did enough last season to make sure he is one of the most untouchable players in the NBA. He is the future of this franchise, and there is nothing that can happen this season that will drastically change that.
The problem, however, is that they still need him to win right now. It will take years and years to even think about considering Tatum a disappointment in any way, but if he fails to have a special impact this season, it will be disappointing.
Tatum is doing things that no one is supposed to be capable of at this age, and it is even rarer to find that level of prospect on a team as good as the Celtics. The good news, however, is that Tatum will not have as much responsibility as he did in these past playoffs.
Tatum has already proven that he can handle the load of being the primary option. He will be a main contributor, but he is not going to be the primary option next season, and that is why expectations really are quite irrelevant.
The Celtics need him to be at their best, but it is not the make or break point of this team. When you combine that with how much the Celtics believe in his future, and Tatum really does not have to be concerned with expectations at all.
There will always be the outside criticism, and people will be watching Tatum closely, especially in comparisons to the top rookies that finished ahead of him in rookie of the year voting this season.
Tatum is in a special situation, with unique circumstances. In a lot of ways, it feels like his situation will bring down more pressure than anyone his age should have to deal with. That being said, when you look at everything going on around Tatum, there is no concern about that pressure.
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Tatum has already proven enough, and he has plenty of time to prove more. He can be a difference that pushes the Celtics over the top, but the Celtics will only need him to be that kind of difference maker later on in his career. For now, he will continue to enjoy being in maybe the best spot any young player can find themselves in.