Getty Quin Snyder Issued a Statement About Jayson Tatum
Despite being viewed as the clear-cut favorites to progress out of their first-round playoff series, the Boston Celtics fell to defeat against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, April 21.
Yet, upon the conclusion of the game, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder shared some praise for All-Star wing Jayson Tatum, crediting his growth as a playmaker and the threat he poses on offense.
“Tatum, in particular, is just hard to guard one on one,” Snyder said. “So you have to commit multiple defenders to him, and those other guys are, you know, they’re prepared. They know when those shots are coming. And he’s becoming an excellent passer. You can tell he takes a lot of pride, and making a play when he gets double-teamed so they can score in bunches”
Tatum has been solid since the playoffs began, and in his first three games against the Hawks, is averaging 27.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per contest while shooting 46.3% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range.
Trae Young Discusses Playing Against All-Star Duo
During his own post-game press conference, All-Star guard Trae Young was complimentary of Boston’s offensive scheme, crediting the gravity that Tatum and Jaylen Brown possess when sharing the court together.
“It’s spacing the floor and giving each other space and rooms and gaps,” Young said. “And I mean, that’s what they do. That’s why they’re really good. They got a lot of guys who can play but those two guys, Jaylen and Jayson. I mean, they’re the two heads of the snake. And they gotta have space to attack, and they do a great job. And we’re trying to do the same thing, and I think we did a really good job at night spacing, and me and DJ did a good job of when we were getting to the lane getting two guys and me still finding guys for shots too. So we did a little bit of both tonight was good.”
Jaylen Brown Wants to be More Aggressive
As the April 21 contest wore on, Jaylen Brown found himself in foul trouble, which led to a timid performance by his standards. When addressing the media following the game, Brown admitted that he needs to be more aggressive on both sides of the court if he wants to give his team the best chance of winning.
“Yeah, got in a little bit of foul trouble, [it] affected my rhythm,” Brown said. “I gotta be aggressive, and that’s the key for me. I wasn’t aggressive tonight on either side of the ball, and I gotta be better.”
Brown, an Atlanta native, won’t have to wait long to try and put things right, as the Celtics will face off against the Hawks for game four on Sunday, April 23.