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Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are currently in the process of gearing up for their upcoming Eastern Conference Finals series vs the Indiana Pacers, which is set to begin on Tuesday evening from the TD Garden in Boston. While his efficiency numbers are still down, Tatum was able to put together a few high scoring performances in a row against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Celtics' win in the conference semifinals last round, setting the stage for what should be a highly entertaining matchup between the NBA's top two offenses of this season.
Recently, Tatum got an interesting comparison from ESPN sports media personality Stephen A. Smith, who was asked who his NBA version of Harry Potter would be on his show, the Stephen A. Smith Show.
“Over his 6 years of enrollment at Hogwarts, Harry Potter only played in 9 Quidditch matches for Gryffindor. This was due to a combination of injuries, suspensions, and cancellations. He compiled an overall record of 7-2. Who is the Harry Potter of the NBA?” wondered a user on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.
“Jayson Tatum,” answered Smith, per his own account on X. “Do you know that this year is going to mark I think it's the sixth time that Jayson Tatum has been in the conference finals? One time in the NBA Finals, wearing a Boston Celtics uniform, still no NBA championship. Still no NBA championship. Very very good… I think Jayson Tatum is better than very very good, I think he's great. But he has to cement it, he has to prove it by winning a championship this year. And if he gets through the Indiana Pacers, well then guess what's next? It's either Kyrie and Luka, or it's Ant Man, Anthony Edwards, and that Minnesota defense. One way or another, he wins a title this year, he's going to earn it.”
Is this finally the year?
Celtics fans have waited 16 long years for a team that has been as dominant as what they've seen from their squad this year, as Boston won 64 games and earned the number one seed in either conference by a country mile in the process, seamlessly integrating new faces Kristaps Porzingis (currently injured) and Jrue Holiday into the fold around stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White.
However, until they break through and actually hoist the trophy, skeptics of Boston will likely still point to their previous crunch time offense struggles, and Tatum's own personal shortcomings in his lone Finals appearance back in 2022, as reasons why this team still isn't capable of winning it all.
So far this postseason, the Celtics have yet to be truly tested, as each team they've faced has been without their best two playmakers for large portions, if not all of, the respective series. Whether or not the Pacers can finally break through and make the Celtics sweat a little bit before their inevitable Finals appearance remains to be seen.
Game 1 is set for Tuesday evening at 8:00 PM ET from Boston.
