The Boston Celtics, arguably considered the favorites to win the East, are suddenly in crisis mode. The team is down 0-2 in their second-round series against the New York Knicks, and the criticism has landed squarely on the shoulders of All-Star forward Jayson Tatum.
The Celtics star, who averaged 26.8 points per game during the regular season, has seen his production dip to 18.0 points per game in the series. Tatum shot a woeful 5-of-19 from the field in Game 2, and with the game and perhaps the series on the line, he failed to get off a final shot before time expired, turning the ball over as the clock ticked to zero.
As Boston’s best player, it’s not a surprise he’s been receiving the most scrutiny.
Nick Wright: “Tatum Is the Kobe Bryant of Paul George’s”
Criticism of Tatum’s postseason performance from the media isn’t new, but it reached a new level after FS1’s Nick Wright delivered a blistering assessment of the 27-year-old forward on Thursday.
“Here’s what he is,” Wright said. “Jayson Tatum is the Kobe Bryant of Paul George’s. He’s the best Paul George I’ve seen.”
“Jayson Tatum is the Kobe Bryant of Paul George’s.”@getnickwright explains: pic.twitter.com/kHJCGRbIeh
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 8, 2025
The comparison — equal parts biting and backhanded — suggests Tatum has the polish of a Hall of Fame legend but possesses the playoff inconsistencies of George, a player whose legacy remains largely unsettled.
Wright’s jab also reignites a familiar debate: Can Tatum truly be the guy when it matters most? In the 2024 Finals, he put up 22.2 points per game, but Jaylen Brown stole the spotlight and the Finals MVP. While Brown delivered steady, confident play, Tatum’s impact came in waves, marked by inconsistency when the Celtics needed him to take over. The debate over who the actual engine of the Celtics is a topic that sparks heated debate.
Wright also commented on Tatum’s shaky shooting this season and refused to agree with the narrative that Tatum is the best player in the league.
“Jayson Tatum this year. Here’s one you’ll like,” Wright said. “There have been 23 total seasons—almost a third of them are by Steph [Curry]—where you shot 10 or more threes a game. The only three-point percentage worse than Tatum this year in those 23 seasons was LaMelo [Ball] this year.”
“And this is why I have patently and utterly refused—and will continue to refuse—I don’t care if the Celtics come back and win the championship—the nonsense that, ‘Well, we just have to accept the conversation that Jayson Tatum might be the best player in the league.’ He’s not.”
Now the series heads to New York, and Game 3 at Madison Square Garden could be a turning point. The Celtics still have the talent to push back against a gritty Knicks team, but if Tatum can’t find his rhythm soon, Boston’s path forward gets tougher.
Whether Tatum embraces the pressure or wilts under it could define not just this series, but his place in the legacy among the NBA’s elite. For now, the series is trending in the wrong direction, the scrutiny is increasing, and the man seen as Boston’s next superstar faces the harshest spotlight of his career.