Jayson Tatum’s recent performances have left a lot to be desired, as the young All-Star struggles to deal with the weight of expectations currently residing on his shoulders.
Right now, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are tied in their NBA Finals series, with both teams having won two out of their four games against each other. Yet, despite averaging 22.3 points, seven rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game, Tatum is struggling to impact the Celtics on the offensive end.
Despite his box score averages, the St. Louis native is shooting just 34.1% from the field over his first four NBA Finals games but is converting 45.2% from deep. Couple those shooting struggles with his 3.5 turnovers per game, and you can see why fans have been left slightly disappointed, however unreasonable it may seem.
However, during his June 12 media availability, Warriors forward Draymond Green spoke about Tatum’s struggles, telling the media that he believes Boston’s star player is handling the expectations well for a player of his age.
“I mean, it’s tough. You’re experiencing something for the first time. I think he’s handled it well. He’s maybe not shot the ball as well as he’d like or everyone else would like, but overall I think he’s been playing well, and that’s why it’s a 2-2 series. Coming back for Game 5. I think he’s handling it all extremely well. He’s taking what the defense gives him, and that’s what great players do. But I think he’s doing a good job,” Green said.
Udoka Wants Subtle Tweaks From Tatum
While Tatum’s struggles continue to be a point of emphasis for media and fans alike, it would seem that head coach Ime Udoka is looking for his star to implement subtle tweaks to get himself going again.
Sure, the 24-year-old wing is finding success with this three-ball, but his interior game has been way off what we’ve come to expect from him, and Udoka believes that being more aggressive with his finishes could quickly resolve those struggles.
“I’d say some stronger finishes. As I mentioned at times, looking for fouls. When he plays off two and draws the contact, he’s finished well. The other part is inside the three they are really crowding and trying to take away. So we want him, when he gets a cross-match, to pop the space or roll in the pocket and try to get an advantage as far as that.
Some of the isolations, elbow, things we have done for him, they are really loading up. And even with that, he has to invite that and get guys other shots. More spacing. Then playing at the nail and elbow area in the series. For him, the numbers — I think, are over-penetrating at times. But he has done a good job of mixing that and drawing the crowd, which is there every time, and finding a shooter,” Udoka told reporters on June 12.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Tatum is scoring 50% of his looks at the rim, 25% of his attempts from floater range, and just 15% from long mid-range – all of which are exceptionally low compared to his usual production levels, so hopefully, Udoka can help him rediscover his form inside of the perimeter.
Boston Isn’t a One-Man Team
Regardless of Tatum’s struggles over the first four games of the Celtics series against the Warriors, Boston has been able to keep the series competitive and is currently tied heading into game five.
Jaylen Brown has been exceptional as both a perimeter defender and offensive sparkplug. Marcus Smart continues to lead by example, putting his body on the line for every 50/50 ball, and Robert Williams is impacting the game simply by being on the court and displaying his bounce.
The other two teams •1977 Trail Blazers (Walton, Lucas) •1979 SuperSonics (DJ, Sikma, G.Williams)
Sure, Tatum’s struggles are garnering headlines, and without him rediscovering his full powers, Boston’s chances of being crowned champions are limited, but if the first four games of this series have taught us anything, it’s that Boston isn’t a one-man team.
So, when Tatum breaks out of his mini-slump, the Celtics could quickly look like the better team, and with a potential three games left to play, the championship is still up for grabs.
Draymond Green Sounds Off on Criticism of Celtics Star