Shocking Numbers Show Celtics' Jayson Tatum has Shrunk vs Knicks

Not only is he struggling in general, but he is struggling in the clutch as well. Tatum's inconsistency has often been the main reason NBA fans don't believe in his talent, despite being a driving force behind the team's title run last season.

However, this is arguably the lowest he has been. As Celtics fans know, this is always a possibility with the Jayson Tatum experience. Just as easily as he can flounder and pile up the bricks, he is capable of a 40-point or 50-point game.

The good news for the Celtics is that despite their insane struggles, they have still done well defensively and nearly won both of the first two games. However, if they don't improve next game, they will be down 3-0 as heavy favorites, just as they were against the Miami Heat back in 2023.

Tatum needs to be better because he needs to lead by example. The rest of the team seems to be following suit with him, highlighted by their 75 missed threes in two games.

Tatum needs to figure out how to get easier shots, which should open up easier shots for his teammates. To be fair, the Knicks do have good wing defenders, but Tatum can't pass as a superstar if he can't overcome them.

Game 3 is obviously a huge game for the Celtics, but arguably just as big a game for Tatum. If he wants to be remembered as an all-time great Celtic and a legend of the game, he can't have a full series like this.

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Something just isn't working, so it will be interesting to see how the game plan changes now on the road in New York. Tatum may feel like he needs to have a big game to rectify things, but that isn't necessary with how the Celtics are built.

He just needs to draw the defense's attention and make the right play. That becomes much harder when he can't hit a shot to save his life. As a whole, the Celtics need to play better if they want to come back in this series, and that starts with Jayson Tatum.

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