Jayson Tatum needs to be the ‘Sun’ for Celtics, says Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins still left needing more from Jayson Tatum.

Jayson Tatum needs to be the ‘Sun’ for Celtics, says Kendrick Perkins

Jayson Tatum

Kendrick Perkins on an episode on ESPN’s NBA Today, recently shared his thoughts on Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, as he emphasized the importance of Tatum embracing a leadership role on the team. Perkins believes that Tatum has the potential to be the driving force behind the Celtics’ success, but it’s not just about individual accolades like All-Star or All-NBA team selections.

According to Kendrick Perkins, Tatum needs to become the “sun” that the team revolves around, rather than just being another star player. This means he has to take on a more significant leadership role and set the tone for the rest of the team. 

Who has the Key? Jayson Tatum. Is he gonna drive the car? When we think about Jayson Tatum we think about all the players that are still in the league, all the stars. Right, Anthony Edwards, Luka, Kyrie, Tyrese Haliburton. They don’t need Jayson Tatum to be the star, they need him to be the sun… Jayson Tatum has all the pieces. Can he please, not half of a series, take over an entire series for once?
Kendrick Perkins said on NBA Today

Furthermore, Perkins drew parallels between Tatum’s situation and that of Celtics legends like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Larry Bird, who are considered “Celtics royalty.” His comments suggest that Jayson Tatum has the potential to join this elite group of Celtics greats, but it will require him to take his game to the next level and become a true leader on the court. 

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By embracing this role, Tatum can help lead the Celtics to new heights and cement his place among the all-time greats in Boston Celtics history. Perkins’ words serve as a challenge to Tatum, as it urged him to take on the responsibility of leading the team and becoming the “sun” that the Celtics need to succeed.

NBA insider Brian Windhorst warns Jayson Tatum and the Celtics against the Pacers 

The Boston Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum, are preparing to face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite Tatum’s efficiency struggles, he had strong scoring performances against the Cavaliers in the previous round.

NBA insider Brian Windhorst warned that the C’s should not underestimate the Pacers, particularly at home. Moreover, the Pacers are a more confident team at home, and Tyrese Haliburton’s performance can be affected by his mindset.

What I would just say to the Celtics is, if you mess around and lose at home like you have for years now, the assumption that you can just get it back on the road like they did in the previous two series, I would just warn them about that.
Brian Windhorst said on First Take

Furthermore, Windhorst cautioned the Celtics against assuming they can easily regain home-court advantage on the road, as they did in the previous two series. The Celtics have a history of relinquishing home-court advantage, as they’ve in the past lost Game 2 of each series against the Heat and Cavaliers at TD Garden.

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