Boston Celtics: 5 players who need to step up without Gordon Hayward

4. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum is the other forward that will have to directly fill in for Hayward. Tatum is a rookie and a year younger than Brown, so Boston will allow him a bit more time to develop. Tatum also isn’t on par with Brown athletically, but his skills are more advanced.

Throughout NBA Summer League, Tatum looked like the best player on the Celtics roster. He drew comparisons to NBA greats like Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony because of his ability to score. Tatum already has a league-ready post fade away and face up game. He’d probably look more at home playing against Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady in the early 2000s than in today’s game where the mid-range game has become a lost art.

Jayson Tatum had a nice game in the opener, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. He also played 36 minutes, which tells us that he’ll see a lot of action in his rookie year. In order to really thrive, Tatum needs to work on developing his 3-point shot and his defense. It seems unfair to place a lot of pressure on a rookie, but the Celtics will rely on Tatum heavily for the rest of the season.