(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics easily defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night but there was one troubling trend during the team’s major victory.
Jayson Tatum was not having a great night and went 7-of-19 from the field and 0-of-5 from beyond the three-point line.
His 18 points were not stellar and it has some people concerned about what’s ahead for the Celtics.
On “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith warned Tatum that expectations are high and the competition is tough.
He said that “nothing less than a championship is going to be acceptable” for the Celtics and “nothing less than greatness” will be accepted from Tatum.
“You, Jayson Tatum, you cannot be the reason this team doesn’t capture the chip.”
@stephenasmith on the Celtics pic.twitter.com/XrYV5iL4lD
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 8, 2024
Tatum is still one of the best players in the league and it’s likely that this was just one bad game.
Most fans assume he will bounce back in Game 2 and look like his regular self.
Many Celtics followers aren’t too worried about this series because their team is still the favorite to win over the Cavaliers.
But what happens in the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals if Tatum has a few more off nights?
The opponents are only getting harder, as Smith noted.
He said that if the Celtics reach the Finals, they will have their work cut out for them because the teams coming out of the West are much stronger than those in the East.
The Celtics will need to rely on Tatum more than ever before.
He didn’t play to the best of his abilities during Tuesday’s game but he will need to shake off whatever held him back and return to greatness for Game 2 and beyond.
Now is not the time for Tatum to experience problems.
The post Stephen A. Smith Sends A Clear Message To Jayson Tatum appeared first on The Cold Wire.