Will Tatum be a problem as a starter in the playoffs?

[RodyTur10]

Almost nobody is talking about it, since he's a rookie, but are we sure that Tatum can hold his own in the playoffs as a starter? I'm not blaming him (since again, he's a rookie), but if we just objectively analyze his game for the last two months are we really satisfied with his level of play? I would say it's more than just a slump, but more like he's coming back to earth.

His incredibly efficient shooting has suffered a lot and also his confidence it looks like. On defense Tatum has gotten a pass as it's hard to learn NBA defense, but can we acknowledge that he's really poor in keeping his opponent in front of him? And he often misses switches. Not only his scoring numbers have gone down, but also his rebounding. At the start of the season we saw him having double-doubles with regularity.

In terms of the current roster (and Hayward injured) it makes sense to keep starting Tatum, but I think he's going to have a tough time when he's playing at the playoff intensity level. Of course there are more problems the Celtics have to deal with, but nobody is adressing this. I'm a little worried to be honest. Whether they like it or not, the Celtics are not viewed in the same context as they were previous years when any playoff series win was a nice achievement.   

[bdm860]

I don't worry, at least not in the sense that if the C's lose it will be because of Tatum not being able to handle the playoffs.

One thing that people are concerned with about Tatum now is that he seems to be hitting the rookie wall.  I'm actually less concerned about that in the playoffs.  No back-to-backs, 1-2 days off between every game (more if they wrap up a series early), less travel, easier to be focused facing the same opponent 4-7 times in a row, etc.

Also with Tatum playing SF/PF, I don't see a lot of potential problem match ups where the C's can't afford a couple of rookie mistakes or hide him if necessary.  Against Toronto or Indiana, I'd expect Brown and Smart to be tasked with handling DeRozen and Oladipo. Miami, Philly, Detroit, and Charlotte have nobody of concern that Tatum would have to match up against.  Porter's been playing well since Wall went down, and could be a challenge for Tatum, but I don't see him as a guy who would kill the C's, definitely not losing sleep over what he might do.  That leaves Milwaukee (Giannis/Middleton/Parker) and LeBron and the Cavs.  We know LeBron can basically destroy whoever he wants, but with him being the only wing threat in Cleveland, Tatum doesn't have to be the one solely responsible for trying to stop him.  And God help us all if Giannis decides he's going to take over.  So I only see 2 teams out of 7 I'd be overly concerned about in the East, and the C's might not even match up with any of them. Miami/Indiana/Toronto/Houston is probably my ideal playoff run that I think is in the realm of possibility.

So I think Tatum will be okay for the C's in the playoffs.  He's not going to sink the ship.

[bellerephon]

It is certainly true that Tatum has regressed. That is concerning because the Celtics need someone other than Kyrie to step up offensively if they are going to make any noise in the playoffs. Earlier in the year it looked like Tatum might be able to play that role, now not so much. I'm not worried about him being a starter, however. I think he can be a competent starter even if he's not the difference maker we saw earlier in the year. The concern is more about the whole team. Who on this team can take some of the scoring burden off of Kyrie in a playoff series?

[PhoSita]

He's a young one and done rookie.

I'm totally satisfied with his level of play and don't see his recent struggles as a regression but an expected coming down from a hot start to the season.

Ideally he would be coming off the bench or playing a more limited offensive role given his age. That was obviously the plan before Hayward got hurt.

I don't think the team has any better options to start on the wing so he'll have to do. I feel good about him raising his game in the playoffs, also.

In a vacuum, even with his latest struggles I think Tatum is a solid option as a starter, just not a borderline star as he was earlier in the season.

[vjcsmoke]

Tatum has hit the rookie wall?  Yes.

Am I concerned about him in the playoffs?  No.

That's the only way for him to really learn and we don't really have another realistic option at small forward as we didn't trade for Tyreke Evans.

Tatum has gotta play himself out of this rut.  It will come to him.  He is supremely talented.  Meanwhile we are still winning because other players are stepping up.  Players like Brown, Theis, Rozier etc.

[Sophomore]

You can't overlook the fact that they're asking him to do more.

At the start of the season he had a well-defined role and he thrived in it: hit open threes and attack closeouts. The last 15 games or so, he's been given the green light to try more iso scoring, taking his man off the dribble. And we've learned he's not as NBA-ready at that skill. Given how great he's been in general, that's a little disappointing, but it's also a sign of how high we set the bar for him. It's going to take a while. If they need to I think they might dial him back a little and he's got the right makeup to do what the team needs.

The other X factor I'm not seeing is the other rookie wall he's trying to climb- the birth of his first child. He's got to be losing sleep, which can't be making this easier. Everybody I've ever worked with was kind of a mess that first year, and I've got a desk job. What's it like needing to perform at an NBA level and get used to the grind w/out enough sleep? That worries me more.

[keevsnick]

Tatum has certainly struggled the last  two months, and he certainly may continue to struggle in the playoffd, but it's really just not fair to expect a 19-20 year old to contribute to high level basketball, it almost never happens. We don't have any better options on our roster, and really even if Tatum is just okay we could certainly still make a deep run as long as Irvinf, Briwn and Al step up. I guess what I'm saying is I'm not worried because it's not really about this year, experience will be good for Tatum moving forward and he can certainly play better than he is right now.

[Diggles]

For me the experience in these playoffs will far out weigh our 4th option on the starting unit or defensive unit.    The window is the following two years, now that Hayward went down.  Lets get him and Brwon the most experience as possible these playoffs.  We are the 4th youngest team with the biggest expectations.   Lets see if this kid has IT during the playoffs.     

[JHTruth]

He gets stripped an awful lot going to the rim.

But if I had to guess Morris will be playing a lot for him in the playoffs..

[bknova]

It is certainly true that Tatum has regressed. That is concerning because the Celtics need someone other than Kyrie to step up offensively if they are going to make any noise in the playoffs. Earlier in the year it looked like Tatum might be able to play that role, now not so much. I'm not worried about him being a starter, however. I think he can be a competent starter even if he's not the difference maker we saw earlier in the year. The concern is more about the whole team. Who on this team can take some of the scoring burden off of Kyrie in a playoff series?

That guy is most certainly going to be Brown, and they are prepping him for it.  He was ultra aggressive last night as the focal point of the offense on the second unit.  He's looking to score when he has the ball now.  He's also gaining confidence in his way smoother, more patient, free throws.  So he's actually looking to get to the line.  Big plus.

As for Tatum, this kid has never played basketball at this level for this sustained of a stretch in his life.  Its a long season.  He'll settle into some sort of groove and contribute to the team in the playoffs.  He's probably not gonna be super rookie, though.

[timpiker]

Yes he has regressed and he gets a pass because he's a rookie.  We have the luxury during the regular season to be patient with him.  He's learning to do better and he's learning to do more.  The playoffs will be good experience for him.  It may not pay off this year but certainly next year it will. 

[KGBirdBias]

Anything we are getting from Tatum is icing on the cake right now. The experience he's gained while Hayward is out can't be measured.

In the playoffs, he's the least of my worries. My worries are Horford, Baynes and Monroe defending and rebounding.

I like that Theis is getting more minutes. He's the only real force we have in the paint.

[GreenWarrior]

I think we'd have benefitted greatly to get tatum and brown shots early in games. I could definitely see these guys being a big reason why we struggle at some point in the playoffs.

I think kyrie and horford are the ones that can get their offense going at any time in a game, they don't need the touches early. brown and tatum are the young guys they need to be involved early and feel like they're not just out there getting kyrie and horford shots.

[2short]

I think Tatum has hit the rookie wall and is looking inconsistent at this point.  I would say if things were on the line right now as is it was a playoff series he'd loose his starting job to Morris.  But I think rightfully so they don't want to mess with his confiindence / mind in loosing his starting job.
I do wish he concentrate on rebounding , his numbers have been subpar for awhile.  He's the real deal we just need to be patient.

[ETNCeltics]

Tatum has played poorly - for the most part - over the last 6/8 weeks. It's concerning, but not entirely unexpected. Having said that, a lot of rookies seem to have hit the same wall. The problem is, as Tatum has hit the wall, Jaylen Brown has been inconsistent. If one or both don't start to play a more consistent brand of ball, then we won't last long come May. No way we get out of the 2nd round at the level we're currently playing.

With both playing subpar, it puts an incredible amount of pressure on Kyrie. The goofballs on here complaining about Kyrie's D should consider that he is carrying this team on his back offensively.