POLL POSITION RESULTS: Who needs to step up the most for the Celtics to start series vs Cavs?

BOSTON — The results are in, and we have a winner … sort of.

The question posed led to a landslide outcome with Jayson Tatum the overwhelming choice for the player who needs to step up the most for the Cavs.

Tatum received 85 percent of the votes with the remainder split between head coach Joe Mazzulla and ‘“other.”

Several factors come into play with Tatum being such a resounding choice.

For starters, he is the best player on the Celtics roster who, truth be told, has not played like the best player on the Celtics roster.

Earlier today, I wrote about Tatum and whether he’s playing well enough for Boston to win a championship.

His numbers in most statistical categories are down from the regular season. But it hasn’t impacted winning.

The Celtics go into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Cleveland on Thursday with a 5-1 record. The five wins have been by an average of 22.6 points per game.

An improved offensive showing by Tatum would make the journey towards Banner 18 for the Celtics a lot easier.

Also receiving votes was head coach Joe Mazzulla, no stranger to second-guessing or criticism from the Celtics fanbase.

But to Mazzulla’s credit, he has shown tremendous growth in his second season as the team’s head coach, finishing with more regular season wins than all but three teams in Celtics history.

Like most coaches, when the team struggles he’s often on the receiving end of the blame and is usually overlooked when the team succeeds.

Both will need to continue to make their respective presences felt going forward if an NBA title is truly in the cards for this storied franchise.