Kendrick Perkins needs to see more passion from Jayson Tatum.
While the Sixers were shellacking the Celtics Tuesday, Perkins called out Tatum for his defeated demeanor. It looked like the All-Star would've preferred to be anywhere else besides the parquet. He finished 7-of-17 from the field with just four rebounds and four assists in Boston's 106-96 loss.
"Jayson Tatum, you got paid the big bucks!," Perkins tweeted. "You have the body language and energy level of an underpaid player and it's hurtin' the team. Time to step up and live up to your role, straight up."
Perkins expanded on his take after the game on NBC Sports Boston, saying he wants Tatum to be more assertive.
"I'm always lobbying for Jayson Tatum," Perkins said. "I think he's a special talent. He's one of the most offensively gifted players in the league. With that being said, there's still a certain type of leadership role on the court, a certain type of tenacity, a certain type of edge, a certain type of swagger that you have to play with."
Perkins also brought up his experiences playing with Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He says Tatum possesses their talent, but lacks willpower.
"I've played with a lot of Hall of Famers when they were old, and I played with a lot of them when they were young, and I played with Kevin Durant in particular," Perkins said. "Kevin Durant had a swagger by himself. He's always going to lead, he's always going to talk and build up his teammates — root for his teammates. And on top of that, he's going fight. I don't see that (with Tatum). There's a lot of bad body language. I don't see a lot of emotions out of Jayson Tatum."
Tatum has been a consummate winner throughout his career, playing in three Eastern Conference Finals over his first four years — including as a 19-year-old rookie, But it's apparent the 25-26 Celtics are at a stagnant point in their development. Tatum is grabbing his points almost every night, but wins are elusive.
It's clear changes need to be made, perhaps starting with Tatum's leadership style, or lack thereof.
