Which Version of Jayson Tatum Will the Miami Heat Get?

The Miami Heat face Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

After the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, Jayson Tatum proclaimed himself as “one of the best players in the world.”

And the Miami Heat are taking his words seriously. The Heat know they have to contain Tatum to have any chance in the Eastern Conference finals that begin tonight in Boston. 

"It's easier said than done," Spoelstra said. "You have to do your work early.

While the Celtics have several proven scorers, the offense starts with Tatum.  He had his way with the Heat during the regular season, averaging 30.8 points on 47 percent shooting. Still, Tatum has the tendency of inconsistent play.

It happened earlier when Tatum played like two different players in a span of three days against the Heat. On Nov. 30, he had 49 points in a blowout victory. Then he went 5 of 18 for just 14 points, with four personal fouls and five turnovers.

He had more recent example of inconsistency against the 76ers last round. In Game 6, Tatum was 1 of 13 for three points through three quarters before ending with 19 points. He followed that with arguably the best Game 7 performance in league history with 51 points.

He has the tendency to start slow but his ability to turn it on makes him effective. 

"You got to scramble and make multiple efforts," Spoelstra said. "There's no easy way [to stop Tatum], but there is a way."

Jayson Tatum's interview after the #Celtics beat the #76ers in Game 6 pic.twitter.com/RJsO8s3H9U

— Sports US today (@Sportsustoday) May 12, 2023

So here's the final analysis: The Heat have to be ready for either version of Tatum, the one who gets teammates involved or goes for 50. And that's what makes him so difficult to defend. 

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.