Jayson Tatum is the best player on the Boston Celtics, but he isn't the most reliable in the postseason — that title is reserved for Jaylen Brown, at least according to Stephen A. Smith.
“Jayson Tatum is the best player on the team. He is not the best player in the postseason over the last 2 years. That has been Jaylen Brown,” Smith said on First Take on Friday when discussing whether Tatum or league MVP Joel Embiid has more riding on their second-round NBA Playoff series.
"Jayson Tatum is the best player on the team. He is not the best player in the postseason over the last 2 years. That has been Jaylen Brown. Jaylen Brown has been a more reliable asset for the Boston Celtics than Jayson Tatum."
— Stephen A. Smithpic.twitter.com/65KomYdh3L
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 5, 2023
“Brown has been a more reliable asset for the Boston Celtics than Tatum. And so when you look at it from that perspective, assuming that Brown is going to continue to do what he's been doing, you are going to look at Tatum…they won the other night by 34 points…Brown had about 25 points…Tatum had seven points.
Now it's not a big deal because they won the game. But as you reflect on this team, if they falter and fall, you're gonna look at Jayson Tatum and ask yourself, ‘what did he do.?' With Embiid you're gonna say, ‘was he healthy or not,' because we know what he can do when he's healthy.”
Strong words from Stephen A. Smith, but Tatum getting seven points in a playoff game is certainly not what the Boston Celtics are looking for from their star player.
Still, as Smith said, it didn't matter in Game 2 as the Celtics crushed the 76ers 121-87 at TD Garden. But Tatum is going to need to be better if the team plans to make another run at an NBA Championship.
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