Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. John Jones-Imagn Images

Jayson Tatum is failing Celtics right now

By Noel Guerra | Last updated May 8, 2025 12:59 PM ET

The Boston Celtics are down 2-0 in their playoff series against the New York Knicks after they blew back-to-back 20-point leads.

A big reason for the Celtics' collapse in consecutive games is because of their historic shooting woes, which were on full display in Game 1 when they set the record for most missed threes in a game with 45 misses.

Despite the shooting struggles, the blame must be pointed toward the Celtics' franchise player, Jayson Tatum. Tatum has been successful throughout his career, which culminated in a championship last season. This has led to several people in the media realm to debate whether or not Tatum is, or could be, the face of the NBA.

However, Tatum is currently failing the Celtics as their leader and franchise guy. He has been putrid thus far against the Knicks. He is averaging 18.0 PPG on 28.6 percent from the field and 25 percent from three. Then there are the fourth-quarter numbers during these collapses, where he digs the Celtics in an even deeper hole.

Jayson Tatum in 4Q of Knicks series:

1-12 FG
0-7 3P
-12 pic.twitter.com/YObZkPTmJx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 8, 2025

The Knicks are outscoring the Celtics 63-38 in the fourth quarter/overtime. Tatum has a big hand in that differential. He is not showing up in the big moments, while the entire Knicks team is coming together when it matters most.

As the leader of the team, Tatum should take the responsibility of leading the charge and helping his team adapt. The three-point shooting is not working. Instead of showing some fight and adapting to the moment, he settles. Kendrick Perkins of ESPN had some thoughts on the lack of fight he is seeing from Tatum.

"At some point, Jayson Tatum's gotta say, 'I'm the best player on the floor. I cannot be guarded.' ... He's one of the most elite scorers in the game today, and I just don't see that tenacity. I don't see that dog in him."

—@KendrickPerkins after the Celtics' Game 2 loss to the… pic.twitter.com/9cuPVNw3aV
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 8, 2025

Tatum needs to step up on multiple levels for the Celtics to come back and win this series. He needs to get going early with his scoring, and if he sees the shooting slump continue throughout the team, he needs to help the team adapt. The Celtics are capable of erasing this deficit, but Tatum needs to be the leader that they desperately need.

Noel Guerra

My name is Noel Guerra. I graduated from West Chester University in 2020 with a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Media Studies with a minor in Journalism. I love the NBA and MLB with a love for sports betting as well.

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