Stephen A. Smith believes it's imperative for Jayson Tatum to start playing like a legitimate franchise player.
The Celtics managed to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals despite a 12-point showing from Tatum, an All-NBA First-Teamer. The star wing responded with 28 points in Game 2, but Boston suffered a 19-point loss at Chase Center.
Tatum and company now enter an all-important Game 3 at TD Garden with the best-of-seven series deadlocked at one game apiece. Hours before tipoff, Stephen A. Smith used an analogy in explaining why Tatum needs to step up more than any other Celtics player Wednesday night and beyond.
"When you go to the negotiating table, I love how players talk about 'team.' When it's time for your representation and you to go into the room and ask for a contract, you ain't thinking about team then. You thinking about you," Smith said on ESPN's "First Take." "We have people on professional sports teams in the National Basketball Association where a player's getting paid $35-40 million and a teammate's getting paid two (million). That does exist. There's a reason that it does exist because a $2 million player ain't that $40 million player.
"There does come a moment in time, particularly during this time of year, where role players matter, team matters, defense matters, coaching matters. But nothing matters more than that dude who you're saying, 'Here's the ball. Take me there.' Somehow, someway. Put the ball in the hole, make the right assist, make the right pass.
"The point is, big-time players show up in big-time moments. I believe Jayson Tatum is a big-time player and he's got to show up in big-time moments. Because if nothing else, Steph Curry has shown us in the first two games, 'I'm here and I ain't going nowhere.' Somebody has to answer that call."
Green Teamers should feel confident in Tatum and the Celtics' chances of regaining a series lead Wednesday. Boston is 6-0 in these playoffs following a loss and Tatum averaged 31.5 points in those contests.
