Jayson Tatum's 50-point performance for Celtics opens floor for superstar debate

Big-time players step up in big-time moments.

Jayson Tatum provided proof of that adage for the Boston Celtics in a 118-100 win against the Washington Wizards in Tuesday night's Play-In Tournament showcase.

Tatum went off for 50 points in the playoff-clinching performance, including dropping 23 points in the third quarter against Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal & Co.

He led both teams in minutes played with 40:37, adding eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal to round out his stat line for the evening. 

The praise for Tatum came in droves following the win, which locked up the No. 7 seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference for the Celtics.

Wizards head coach Scott Brooks called Tatum a "great player" in his postgame news conference, making sure to not add unnecessary qualifiers to his comments.

"He's a great player," Brooks said. "He's not a great young player – he's a great player. And he's gonna be an MVP in this league soon."

Beal, who narrowly missed out on winning this season's scoring title, with an average of 31.3 points per game, also applauded the 23-year-old Celtics forward.

Both Tatum and Beal are from the St. Louis area, where the two became childhood friends.

"He's a special talent, man," Beal said. "And I've been saying it since he was in diapers, so it doesn't surprise me."

As Shannon Sharpe put it on Wednesday morning's episode of "Undisputed," Tatum was "phenomenal."

But did Tatum's 50-point outburst, his third in 39 days, put him in the upper echelon of NBA stars?

On "First Things First," LaVar Arrington said that, to him, the designation of a "superstar" comes down to recognition.

"If Jayson Tatum was to go out in downtown Boston," Arrington said, "would people know who he is? Would people want to get pictures with him? Would people want to shake his hand and ask him how the season is going? … And the answer is, unequivocally, yes, they would."

On the flip side, ESPN's Jay Williams said he envisions a big future for Tatum, but he isn't quite yet a superstar.

"He's a budding superstar," Williams said. "He will be the MVP of the league one day."

Nick Wright threw some cold water on the idea of anointing Tatum just yet.

To Wright, Tatum is a great player, but there's a long line of other NBA talents ahead of him.

"Even the most adamant, die-hard Celtic fans, none of them would consider Tatum better than the following players … LeBron [James], [Kevin] Durant, [Joel] Embiid, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Luka [Doncic] … Steph [Curry], [James] Harden, Dame [Lillard], Kawhi [Leonard], [Nikola] Jokic, AD [Anthony Davis]. That's 11, so right there, there's 11 guys unanimously better than him. I think Kyrie [Irving], Chris Paul and Jimmy Butler are also there. … At absolute best, he's 15th, and absolute worst, he's 24th."

As for Tatum himself, he said he's largely ignoring the discussion.

"I don't know," he said when asked if performances such as Tuesday's elevate his status. "I guess it helps. I don't really get caught up in those who think I am a superstar and those that don't. What does that really mean? I know that my teammates, I've earned their respect. I've earned the respect of the guys I've played against and the coaches.

"I believe in myself, and that's all that matters."

That belief could extend well beyond Tatum if he can continue having such performances, especially if he can lead the Celtics to a win against the second-seeded Brooklyn Nets on Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round series. 

In terms of that series, we're certain there are three superstars ready to participate.

We'll see if Tatum can prove that there is also one more.

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