The Boston Celtics came into the Eastern Conference Finals as the heavy favorite to win the series.
That is because of home-court advantage and their roster advantage.
One player that is expected to be the best on the floor each night is Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Yet that was not the case in Game 1 of this series.
Tatum struggled late in the game and was a non-factor in the fourth quarter.
He did not even attempt a shot in the final quarter of the game.
Colin Cowherd has an interesting cross-sport comparison for Tatum.
He compared him to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Jayson Tatum is the Josh Allen of the NBA:
“It’s intellectually dishonest to deny it.” — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/6OIVa6k9rl
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 18, 2023
Cowherd mentioned how the erratic play of Allen in the playoffs is similar to Tatum.
Both have had great playoff games, and both have had moments when they shrink.
Last season, the Celtics made the NBA Finals and Tatum had a poor showing in his first Finals appearance.
But in Game 7 of the last series, Tatum had an incredible 51-point showing.
There is not enough consistency in Tatum’s game to call him a great playoff performer.
That is very similar to Allen.
You cannot argue the talent of either player, but Cowherd has a point when you look at the up-and-down nature of how they play.
The Celtics are the current favorite to win the NBA title despite being down 1-0 to the Heat.
But, if Tatum does not play elite consistently, it should not surprise anyone if the Heat send them home.
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