Celtics Forward Jayson Tatum has taken the league by storm since he was drafted 3rd overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. He’s been a superstar since day 1, and the Celtics have made the playoffs every year since the team drafted him. He has been a leader on and off the court. In the regular season, he’s averaged over 30 points per game, just under 9 rebounds per game, and just under 5 assists per game. He’s been even better in the playoffs, averaging over 26 points per game, over 10 rebounds per game, and over 5 assists per game. However, he has never been able to win the big game and deliver a championship to the city of Boston.
This leads us to tomorrow, where the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics will do battle in Game 7, for the right to play the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics came into this series as overwhelming favorites, but have struggled more than expected, even with MVP Center Joel Embiid hurt and the Celtics having homecourt advantage in this series. After getting to the NBA Finals last year, to lose in the 2nd round as big favorites and in your own building would be disastrous for Tatum. Fair or not, there’s this perception that he can’t get over the hump. Last year, he had a reasonable excuse for coming up short. He was facing the biggest dynasty in the league in recent history. This year, however, is different. If they win at home tomorrow, the Celtics will face the 8th seed with homecourt advantage. In addition to that, while the Nuggets are favored to advance to the NBA Finals over the Lakers, there’s a chance that the 7th seed in the West is playing in the NBA Finals. In short, it all depends on Tatum this time. It feels as if the stars have aligned, and Tatum will take the brunt of the criticism if the Celtics fall short again. This comes with the territory when you’re the superstar.
Game 7 should be electric tomorrow!