Boston Celtics: Nick Wright criticizes Tatum in wake of Game 1 loss

Fox Sports 1 analyst Nick Wright wasted no time after the Boston Celtics’ loss to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to pile it on Jayson Tatum for not yet being a superstar.

You can rub salt on the wounds of a heart-breaking Game 1 loss for the Boston Celtics to the Miami Heat in the opening contest of the Eastern Conference finals, but it won’t seal the cut…or kill the Cs.

While Boston did blow a 12-point lead entering the fourth and final frame, the Celtics still went toe-to-toe and blow for blow with the best team standing in their way of their first NBA Finals berth in a decade. Nick Wright’s words don’t take away from the performance of Jayson Tatum–who by the way dropped 30 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out five assists in another of a long line of star performances–and they don’t really mean much given his known affection for LeBron James and opposition to his adversaries.

Boston has historically been James’ greatest rival, bouncing him from the postseason twice and serving as the main obstacle that forced his hand in moving to Miami back in 2010 free agency. That explains why Wright was so quick to go after Tatum following last night’s loss:

Using last night’s game as anecdotal evidence that Tatum isn’t a top 10 player is downright silly, especially considering this tweet was likely a gut reaction to Tatum’s game-tying drive to the rim in the closing seconds of overtime last night being stuffed by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.

Whatever the pundits say, Boston could have easily won that game and should still be seen as a legitimate NBA Championship contender because of…well the presence of their Top 10 superstar in Jayson Tatum.