Jayson Tatum needs to show up in game three for Boston Celtics

Once considered the gem of the 2017 draft class, Jayson Tatum has been disappointing these playoffs. Can the Duke product live up to the enormous hype he generated for himself when he led the Celtics to the ’18 Eastern Conference Finals?

The Boston Celtics are supposed to be a team full of stars. Some are top 10 players right now like Kyrie Irving, some are former All-Stars looking for a return to glory who can still contribute like Gordon Hayward and Al Horford, and then there are blue-chippers with the capability to break-out given their freakish athletic abilities like Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier.

More than all of them, however, the Celtics were supposed to reach their peak with the “leap” taken from second-year forward Jayson Tatum. So far these playoffs, the opposite is happening.

Tatum has been a bust so far this year. He did not get better from year one to year two. Worse yet, he is shooting the Celtics out of games right now. Look no further than game two.

Against the Bucks on Tuesday night, Tatum’s 20% shooting night gave the Celtics one less go-to option. Perhaps its unfair to expect Tatum to deliver on the game’s biggest stage so early in his career. Then again he set those expectations when he went toe-to-toe with LeBron James in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

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Fair or not, the Celtics needed Tatum to be the Robin to Irving’s batman. While Horford and Hayward can make things happen offensively, its Tatum’s ability to take his man off the dribble that was going to be a secondary source of offense. If he is going to be clanking misses off the rim, the Celtics no longer have a clear top option when Tatum is off the court.

Tatum getting worse is a troubling sign beyond this season. It is possible Irving signs elsewhere this offseason. In fact, the (factually incorrect) takes that the team is better without Irving may be pushing him out the door. Irving is known to be very thoughtful and calculated, and he has proven he will leave a franchise if it isn’t what he feels is best for his career.

If Tatum can’t make the jump to an alpha, the Celtics could be in big trouble going forward. Irving or no Irving next year, an awful playoff showing could severely affect how the Celtics approach this offseason. Of course, the threat of an Anthony Davis trade looms.

If Tatum continues to flame out, he may hurt the Celtics chances of the Pelicans landing Davis. Worse yet, he may relinquish being seen as a potential franchise cornerstone.

Which is all to say this: Tatum continuing to struggle is the absolute worst thing that can happen to the Boston Celtics. Game three must be a turnaround game so the narrative should switch.

For his future, for the team’s presence, and the overall health of our favorite Boston franchise.

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