Boston Celtics Are Leaning on Jayson Tatum to Be Elite, for Better or Worse

And the off shooting nights notwithstanding, Tatum has still developed into one of the game's more trustworthy stars (even if he isn't in that aforementioned top tier).Just like his team has rebounded from losses in the playoffs, Tatum is averaging 36.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 4.8 threes and 2.3 steals while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three in his individual postseason bounce-backs (games immediately following those with the sub-45 effective field-goal percentage)."I have the utmost confidence in my guys," veteran Al Horford said after Saturday's loss. Since January 1 (including the postseason), Boston is an NBA-best plus-11.1 points per 100 possessions (thanks to a 117.9 offensive rating and a 106.8 mark on the other end).They're banged up, but the Celtics still seem to have the highest ceiling of any team standing (save perhaps the Golden State Warriors).If Marcus Smart (nursing an ankle injury) and Robert Williams III (missed Saturday's contest with a knee injury, but he could be back as early as Game 4) can give Boston 85 percent of their best, the team can be a nightmare.When you combine decent health up and down the roster with Tatum playing at or near his best, the Celtics look unbeatable.