Jayson Tatum's postgame comments might frustrate desperate Celtics fans

The Boston Celtics are in a dangerous situation right now, but Jayson Tatum doesn’t seem worried.

Following Boston’s second-straight blown lead (and loss) to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, Tatum appeared resolute in speaking to the press, emphasizing the importance of staying true to the team’s core principles. 

“We have a way that we play,” Tatum declared post-game.

“We have an identity. And it can't waver just because we're missing shots. We can't change who we are.”

Tatum’s words reflect the Celtics’ commitment to Joe Mazzulla’s three-point-heavy style, underpinned by stifling defense. This identity propelled them to a championship last season, after all. 

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However, against a gritty Knicks squad led by Jalen Brunson’s scoring prowess and Tom Thibodeau’s defensive schemes, Boston’s shooting has suddenly turned frigid, and their defense has struggled in key moments.

Tatum’s message is clear: panic is not an option. The Celtics must lean into their identity—trusting their ball movement, spacing, and defensive versatility—to turn the series around. 

But is Tatum ... right?

No one is asking the defending champions to completely reinvent how they play, but it's clear that certain key adjustments need to happen. For one, the Celtics must cut back on their three-point attempts when leading by double-digits in the latter stages of a game.

By continuing to heave triples during these situations, Boston does the one thing that keeps the window open for their opponent to come back. If the Celtics were more willing to increase their physicality on offense and drive the ball more frequently than their "normal" playing style requires, they'd have forced the Knicks to expend far more energy defensively during the latter stages of Games 1 and 2, thereby draining New York of the juice required to make a late-game comeback.

The Celtics haven't been good at holding big leads at any point during the Tatum-Brown era. Complacency is something that infects everyone, but it's been something that Boston's been unable to avoid for the better part of the last decade.

Tatum and Co. might not feel that any changes are necessary, but Celtics fans all realize that this team will continue to perform below expectations until it learns how to deliver a knockout punch in the second half of games.

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