It is not often that athletes are presented with a legacy defining opportunity. Tonight,
Jayson Tatum is getting that chance.
The Kristaps Porzingis injury is brutal news for Boston. Porzingis was a clear difference maker for the Celtics in Game 1 (tremendous analysis, right?) and it was clear to anyone watching that with him healthy and in the mix, Boston was going to cruise to banner 18. Now, the Celtics are going to have to work for these final two wins. And their star player should be taking a glass half full approach when it comes to the Porzingis injury news.
The Celtics are 14-2 this postseason, they are on a franchise record nine-game playoff winning streak, and still the discussion for most of this postseason has not been about how dominate this Boston team has been but instead about the easy path the Celtics have gotten to get to this point and the stars that they have not had to play against. Yes, the path for the Celtics has been easy, but the Celtics have also done exactly what they are supposed to be doing when you are given an easy path… WIN… AGAIN, THEY ARE CURRENTLY ON A FRANCHISE RECORD NINE-GAME PLAYOFF WINNING STREAK… THAT IS GOOD… They have also accomplished all of this with Porzingis, one of their best players, playing a total of 44 minutes over the last month. Those realities however have not taken hold nationally, until tonight. The Celtics take the court in Dallas with the discussion centered around a hobbled Porzingis.
Jun 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots the ball against Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (left) and guard Dante Exum (0) during the second quarter in game two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. (Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports)
And this is where the opportunity is for Tatum. From a shooting perspective this has not been a great Finals so far for the First Team All-NBA player. Give him credit, he has found ways to be productive while his shots aren’t falling. However, with the series itself not being particularly captivating plenty of people have taken the chance to pile on the Celtics star. They point to his Finals performance against the Warriors, or the Celtics choke job last year against the Heat as proof that he is not clutch. Completely ignoring the fact that the Celtics made it to the Finals because of Tatum’s monster performance in a got to have it Game 6 against the Bucks and that the Celtics advanced to that Eastern Conference Finals against Miami because he was the best player on the floor in Game 7 against the Sixers.
Tonight, he is on a stage where you will not be able to ignore his performance. If Tatum can go out and be the best player on the floor tonight his narrative suddenly shifts. He becomes the star player that stepped up on the road, when his team was shorthanded, and essentially clinched the Finals. He becomes clutch. He becomes a winner.
It sounds dramatic to think that one game can change the perception of a player but it’s not. And you don’t have to look very far for an example of what I am talking about. Here in Boston, Kyrie Irving is known as the superstar that came to the city, announced he wanted to stay, and promptly took a blow torch to the organization. He completely checked out in his final year in Boston. And he quit in the final series he played for the organization. It was not exactly a David Goggins approach from Irving. Still even with that playoff performance on his resume, even with the way he refused to talk to teammates during his final playoff run with the Cavs on his resume, the vast majority of the time Irving’s playoff resume is discussed on a national level it starts and ends with THE SHOT HE HIT IN THE FINALS to help seal the Cavs championship. ONE SHOT. Legacy made.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 09: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks to shoot the ball against Dereck Lively II #2 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter in Game Two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 09, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Tonight is Tatum’s moment. He doesn’t have to hit a game winner. He doesn’t have to score 50. But if Tatum goes out and has a game where he is clearly the best player on the floor, something he is more than capable of, Tatum suddenly becomes the player that stepped up on the road, when his team was shorthanded, and essentially clinched these Finals. And if he does that, it comes with a Banner 18 and a Finals MVP. Not a bad legacy.
