It's no secret that Jayson Tatum did not play up to par in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. The three-time All-Star had one of his best campaigns during the regular season, all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. When it mattered the most, however, Tatum was a no-show for the Boston Celtics on the Finals stage.
Former Warriors guard turned ESPN analyst Tim Legler recently slapped Tatum with some harsh reality about the pressure he will be facing next season. According to Legler, Tatum will need to answer for his Finals meltdown (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):
“I think Jayson Tatum is under some pressure,” Legler said. “… Jayson Tatum did not play well in the NBA Finals. He was outplayed by the Golden State's best player. … This is a team expecting now to win it all, and Jayson Tatum did not play well when they got to that final stage. He's gonna have to answer that. Regardless of what he does in the regular season, people are gonna be waiting to see, when those lights are at their absolute brightest, will he be better than he was last year and help lead Boston to a championship?”
"I think Jayson Tatum is under some pressure… This is a [Boston Celtics] team expecting now to win it all and Jayson Tatum did not play well when they got to that final stage [last season]. He's gonna have to answer that."
— Tim Leglerpic.twitter.com/fFxobJ7eYX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 22, 2022
The man has a point here. It may be harsh, but the truth is, Tatum is going to be put under the microscope in 2022-23. He has to be after failing to step up to the plate against the Warriors in the Finals.
Jayson Tatum has already proven that he's one of the best young stars in the NBA today. However, he's also shown his vulnerability on the biggest stage. The good news for the Celtics star is that he will still have a lot of opportunities to prove himself in the coming years. That is, of course, under the assumption that Boston is able to return to the NBA Finals.
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