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It’s no secret Stephen A. Smith talks a lot. This time, however, Boston Celtics fans didn’t want him to shut up.
The outspoken (and very loud) Smith was all riled up during a recent episode of “First Take” when it came to offering his opinion on the NBA’s race for MVP. While the Kia MVP Ladder has Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the top two spots, Smith made his case for Jayson Tatum as the top player in the league.
Stephen A. Smith Stresses the Importance of Winning
Tatum certainly isn’t having his best statistical NBA season this year, but one can make an argument that it might be his best overall season.
With the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the Celtics have arguably the best starting five in the league. Tatum no longer has to carry the offensive load as he has in previous seasons. The Celtics have learned that sacrifice leads to victories, and Tatum has learned to give up buckets for W’s.
Smith made that a focal point of his argument.
“I got Jayson Tatum as the leading candidate for league MVP now that Joel Embiid is out,” Smith said on “First Take.” “I’m sorry, does winning matter? Does being the best player on the best team matter? I’d say it does.
“I’m looking at a brother that was averaging 30 (points) last year in the NBA. He’s now averaging 27. I got numbers here. Tatum is one of four NBA players averaging 27 and 8 (rebounds), along with Embiid, Luka, and Giannis. We know that Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Dallas ain’t what Boston is. They’ve got the best record in basketball. They got a six-game cushion in the Eastern Conference.
“Jayson Tatum even has a teammate that gets paid more than him at $300 million in Jaylen Brown. Jayson Tatum, oh by the way in case you wanna look, career-high 56 percent on two-point shots, shooting 37 percent in the paint in the non-restricted area, shooting 44 percent from mid-range. The brother is something special. Six-nine, can take you outside, can take you inside, can post you up, can face the basket and pull up.”
Tatum Said All the Celtics Have Made Sacrifices
The new-look Celtics have been balanced all season. Outside of Derrick White, none of the Boston starters are putting up the offensive numbers they did a year ago. He’s OK with that if winning game is the result.
“I’m certain none of us are averaging career-highs in points, right?” he said after a December game. “We’ve all taken a dip, but it’s for the better of the team. Our success as a unit is more important, and we understand that. We know what the ultimate goal is.”
The goal is Banner 18, and Smith said there’s no reason to ignore Tatum anymore when it comes to MVP.
“The brother is a juggernaut,” he said. “He is the best player on the Boston Celtics. He is the best player on the best team in the NBA. I’m sayin’ we ain’t gonna ignore this brother any longer.”
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