Friday night was proof of just how important Jayson Tatum is to the Boston Celtics. Sure, it was a polar opposite outcome from Wednesday’s Game 5 romp at the TD Garden, Boston’s first game since Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon. But Game 6 was proof that Tatum is Boston's undisputed leader, and though he’s drawn a lot of criticism, it’s clear how crucial he is to this roster.
Give credit to Brad Stevens (and even Danny Ainge, who essentially put this roster together for Stevens to nurture). Pairing Jaylen Brown and Tatum put the Celtics in a great position to contend for championships. Last year, it finally got the team to the mountaintop.
This year was about defending that title. But Tatum’s injury short-circuited that. The Game 6 loss at Madison Square Garden was inevitable. A near 40-point whooping was embarrassing. It was also. a reminder that Tatum is the true star of this team.
Jayson Tatum’s legacy got a massive boost after Boston Celtics bow out of NBA playoffs in most embarrassing way possible
Since Brown was crowned Finals MVP last year, the "Tatum is overrated" crowd has only grown louder. In two games, Brown had everyone fooled about his role on this team. In Game 5, he was the hero. In Game 6, he was a fraud.
Tatum may be frustrating to the Boston fan base. But this team needs him. With or without Brown, Tatum is the star of this team — Brown fought admirably in Game 6, but it's hard to imagine that Boston wouldn't have been more competitive if Tatum were the one in that spot instead.
Brown will never be the No. 1 option on this team. Without Tatum, Brown is just a really good player on the court. He’s not a star. He fouled out in an elimination game with seven turnovers and a -30 on Friday night. It couldn’t be worse for a player that had every opportunity to prove his worth.
If Game 6 foreshadows next season, the Celtics might just blow the whole thing up. Regardless of who’s on the court, for a team that’s pumped nearly $500 million into the roster to lose by almost 40 points in an elimination game while scoring just 81 points shows that changes are imminent.
Those changes could come as early as July, with Kristaps Porginzis, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday all potential cap casualties. Tatum probably won’t suit up for all of the 2025-26 season, and if he does, he won't have any real impact. Brown will have a lot to figure out this offseason, because the most expensive player on the roster can't just fade into the background with the spotlight is the brightest.
The Celtics can’t just trade away whoever they want either. Between salary matching and brushing up against the second apron of the luxury tax, Boston's options are limited right now.
Friday night might be a glimpse into the hard decisions Stevens will have to make this summer. It’s not just Brown’s fault either. Holiday looks like a fraction of what Boston traded for; Porzingis hasn’t had a healthy tenure in Boston, and was a non-factor by the end of this series. Those will be taken into account well before Brown becomes a topic of discussion and his salary of more than $50 million next year makes him a nearly impossible trade piece.
Without even stepping on the court on Friday, Tatum proved why this teams needs him. Now it’s up to Stevens to restructure this roster to build around Tatum so even in his absence, whoever his running mate is actually produces far more consistently than Brown has.