Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Throughout the Boston Celtics‘ post-season run to the NBA Finals, a lot has been said about Jayson Tatum ascending to superstar status.
Following the three-time All-Star’s performances against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, people were quick to announce his arrival among the best players in the NBA. Unfortunately, with such a lofty reputation, expectations become severely enhanced, which has led to large swathes of criticism when Tatum has struggled, as he did on June 2 against the Golden State Warriors.
However, at 24-years-old, Tatum is still developing his game, and is yet to enter his prime years, so the player we’re currently witnessing isn’t the finished product. Yet, once you’re anointed as a superstar, logic generally goes out of the window.
Tatum discussed the current level of expectations on his shoulders during his June 7 media availability and took the time to question who decides that a player has become a superstar.
“A lot of people want to debate — I guess you just commented about the superstar, whatever that means, right? I’ve seen there’s a huge debate: is he a superstar or is he not? I want to know where that came from. Did I tweet that? Did I ever say I’m a superstar, I’m on the verge? That never came from me.
It’s been a big deal this last year and a half or two years. I see it all the time. There’s always been a question in the back of my head, I wonder who spoke on my behalf or said that or why that was such a big deal,” Tatum explained to reporters.
Tatum Putting up Star Numbers
While Tatum may not like being branded as a superstar, his post-season numbers are certainly up there with the best of them, and that’s before we begin to explore his impact as a facilitator and how his presence automatically puts pressure on a defense.
Throughout his 20 playoff games this season, Tatum is averaging 26.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 43.3% from the field and 38.6% from the perimeter, and he’s doing all of that while being the Celtics’ primary offensive weapon.
Jayson Tatum’s proven that he’s a star. ☘️
Unfortunately, when you’re unquestionably the best player on a team that’s competing in the NBA Finals, you’re going to get labeled as a star, and your performances put under a microscope. But, Tatum has handled the pressure admirably, and will likely continue to ignore the outside noise and focus on improving his game.
Ime Udoka Wants Less Turnovers
Throughout the post-season, the Celtics have been unpredictable in their ability to take care of the ball. Due to his increased usage rate as a ball-handler, Tatum has had his fair share of nights where he’s turned over the rock more than he would like. However, when speaking to the media on June 7, Ime Udoka shared his thought’s on Boston’s struggles to take care of the ball.
“Majority is over-penetrating, playing in the crowd as I talk about quite often. Just not keeping it simple. You look at Game 1 where we had 33 assists on 43 baskets, crisp and sharp with our ball movements, not in the crowd. Led to a lot of wide-open threes against a team that packs the paint.
To have 19 for 33 and 11 in the first half last game, 15 of those 19 were steals. That’s directly playing in the crowd. Unforced at times, but also over-penetrating. Have to have carryover and consistency in that area. We look at the numbers overall, we’re 13-2 when we have 15 or less turnovers in the Playoffs, and we’re 0-5 when we have 16 or more. That kind of tells a story,” Udoka told reporters.
Tatum is not the only player struggling to connect with his passes, as Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have also found themselves racking up the turnover numbers at different points throughout the playoffs. However, all of that is in the past now, and what matters most for the Celtics, is ensuring they take care of the ball in game three on June 8.