PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 07: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics warms up prior to game four of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on May 07, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Kendrick Perkins has been critical of Jayson Tatum in the past, but he’s giving the Celtics superstar a mandate: he needs to win his first championship this summer, 2023.

The former Celtics big man, who won his ring with Boston in 2008, has long been one of the more outspoken analysts on ESPN. And he hasn’t been shy about sharing his opinion on the Tatum-era C’s on “First Take,” among other programs. He’s now saying, frankly, what many others in Boston and across the NBA landscape believe about Tatum, which is the time is now for him and the Celtics to win it all.

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  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 03: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter of game two of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 03, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• “He has zero excuses [not] to get it done,” Perkins said on Tatum. “All I’ve been hearing about is how miserable his off-season has been and how he’s been waiting to get to this moment and how he doesn’t give a damn about anything else but this time right now. Jayson Tatum has to get it done, not just in this series but throughout the entire postseason, and bring home a championship to the Beantown.”

  Perkins prefaced his ultimatum for Tatum (an ultiTatum?) by pointing out the biggest reasons for Tatum to be positioned to win the championship this year. Mainly, what Tatum has around him.

• "[Jayson Tatum] has ZERO excuses [not to win a championship this season]."
  
  —@KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/PXi9wLjX82

  — First Take (@FirstTake) May 5, 2023

• “When you talk about having a complete roster, [Tatum] has that,” Perkins said. “When you talk about having elite point guard play and guys that can bring it up and mix it up for him, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, and you have another superstar on your team in Jaylen Brown. You’re not missing anything when it comes down to the bigs and the interior when you look at Robert Williams and Al Horford.”

  Perkins is certainly right about one thing: if the Celtics don’t win the title in 2023, Tatum can’t complain about a lack of a supporting cast. He can’t do everything by himself, either. But the credit/blame for winning/losing should, and will, fall mostly on Tatum’s shoulders.

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  PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 05: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts against Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter in game three of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 05, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

• Tatum has plenty of time to prove “Perk” wrong, but that starts in Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night at TD Garden. After a slow start to Game 4, Tatum came on strong offensively at the end of regulation and overtime, but passed up the potential game-winning shot to Smart, twice.

  If he wants to win that ring this year, he’ll probably need to start taking more of those shots at the end. We’ll see if he takes the initiative in Game 5.

• Click here for complete Boston Celtics coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

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