“He was outplayed by Golden State’s best player” - Tim Legler believes 3x All-Star is under a lot of pressure next season, says the Boston Celtics want to win it all

After years of making it to the conference finals, the Boston Celtics finally got over the hump in 2022. While they fought valiantly to turn their season around, it did end how they had hoped. Thanks to an incredible performance from Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors added another title to their dynasty.

There are many reasons why the Boston Celtics fell short against the Warriors, one of them being the subpar play of Jayson Tatum for stretches. He led the charge all year for his team, but had his up and downs during his first finals appearance. Across the six games, Tatum posted averages of 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting 36.7% from the field.

On a recent episode of ESPN's 'NBA Today,' a discussion broke out about which player is under the most pressure heading into next season. It was there that Tim Legler cited the Boston Celtics All-Star as a possible candidate.

"Jayson Tatum did not play well in the NBA Finals. He was outplayed by Golden State's best player. For Boston to win that series, their best player needed to be the best player on the floor often enough for them to get to four before Golden State got to four. And it didn't happen."

Will Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics be under a lot of pressure this upcoming season?

2022 NBA Finals: Game 6, Jayson Tatum

As a star player not only on his team but in the league, Jayson Tatum will certainly be under pressure next season. Underwhelming in the finals aside, he is one of the best young players in the league. Fans and analysts will be on him to keep rising to superstar status.

Along with Tatum, a case can be made that the entire Boston Celtics will be under pressure in 2023. Fresh off representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, a lot of eyes will be on them to see if they can do it again. Espically considering other top teams like the Bucks and 76ers have either gotten healthy or improved.

Another reason why the Boston Celtics will be under pressure is because they too had a successful offseason. After acquiring Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers, they landed a big upgrade at the point guard position. They also added him to the mix without giving up any of their core pieces.

Following a deep playoff run and additions in the offseason, the pressure will be on not just for Tatum, but all of the Celtics.