Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Still Receiving Major Criticism Despite Achilles Injury
May 31, 2025
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Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum is one of the best players in the NBA today. Yet for some reason, he gets an overwhelming amount of criticism from both fans and media members.
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Tatum has helped the Celtics get to two NBA Finals, winning one of them, and he has come up big for his team countless times in the playoffs. Star players also will receive criticism, but with Tatum, it feels a little different at times.
One of his bigger critics is FS1 analyst Colin Cowherd, who has gone after him multiple times in the past. Cowherd recently weighed in on Tatum again, questioning the Celtics star in comparison to Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Cowherd said that everything people say Tatum does, Gilgeous-Alexander does better and with more consistency.
“The many things I like about SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is that he is delivering and fulfilling everything I’ve been told Jayson Tatum does,” said Cowherd. “Last year, the Celtics go on their championship run, Jaylen Brown is the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals MVP, and Jaylen Brown is often the aggressor and the initiator. SGA wants the ball and is always the aggressor and he has multiple great players around him, but he is clearly the alpha, and that’s all I ever ask with Tatum and got push back. I’m holding Jayson Tatum to the standard you guys all lectured me on with years on LeBron [James].”
Tatum suffered a brutal Achilles injury in the playoffs this year, and yet he is still being talked about. The idea that Tatum is being held to the same standard as LeBron James, who is widely seen as one of the Greatest of All Time, shows exactly how good he is.
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The biggest criticism against Tatum is that he hasn’t performed overly well in the NBA Finals once the Celtics have gotten there. Co-star Jaylen Brown took over last year and ended up winning the NBA Finals MVP.
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles against the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 10,… Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles against the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 10, 2025 in New York City.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
But Tatum is still the leader of the Celtics team, even with this. Before the Achilles injury this year, Tatum was stellar in the playoffs, averaging 28.1 points per game, 11.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals.
The Celtics are very happy to have Tatum on the roster, and he will continue to be the face of the franchise for many years following his Achilles recovery.
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For more on the Celtics and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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