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When the Brooklyn Nets take on the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, they will be looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. That will not be an easy task as they will have to deal with Celtics’ rising star Jayson Tatum who continues to prove that he is a certified bucket every time he touches the floor.
On the season Tatum is averaging 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Tatum, one of the league’s most promising stars has increased his points, assists, and rebounds in every season since he entered the NBA in 2017.
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Tatum Lists His Top 5 NBA Players
Even though Tatum has a way to go before he can be considered one of the top players in the NBA, at the rate he has continued to improve, it is evident that one day he will be there. The players that end up being great are usually the ones who study the greats that have come before them and Tatum does just that. During a recent appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast Tatum listed his current top five players in the NBA and two of the players on his list are Nets.
Tatum’s top five consist of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, and Anthony Davis. When asked why he didn’t list himself in the Top 5 Tatum said “I really respect the guys that got championships.”
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Tatum Will Be Looking for Revenge in Game 2
Despite the respect that Tatum has for the Nets’ stars, the 23-year-old will be looking for revenge when he takes the floor for Game 2. Tatum was held scoreless from the field in the 4th quarter of Game 1 to cap off a night where he shot just 6-20 from the field. Being in danger of going down 0-2 to a loaded Nets squad, Tatum will be looking to have a much better night from the field and KD knows it.
“He missed a couple that he can make for sure, but I thought we did a good job of making him shoot tough ones and being up there on the catch. He’s such a talented player that we can’t get discouraged when he makes those shots over us,” Durant said of Tatum via NetsDaily.
Durant, who Nets head coach Steve Nash has lauded as Brooklyn’s best defender was the primary defender on Tatum in Game 1. Tatum only scored six points on 33% shooting from the field when guarded by the two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
“He made a couple of tough threes, tough fades, and we were able to take that storm and keep pushing through and try to be physical with him and everybody else.”
Steve Nash Impressed by Nets Defensive Effort
Defense, which was once, the Achilles heel of the Nets earlier in the season is what ultimately won them Game 1. While there is still a lot that needs to be cleaned up, the effort and intensity were there, which Nash said is essential for playoff basketball.
“I just thought our intensity was great. The guys were locked in. The effort was there and intensity. They tried to play together and tried to execute defensively. That’s essential in the playoffs,” Nash said via NetsDaily. “It’s not going to be perfect, especially with a new group like ours that hasn’t had a lot of time together. You are going to make some mistakes and be left with some questions to answer, but if you have that intensity, fire, and will, that covers a lot of mistakes. That was the most important thing for us.”
Learning on the fly is never an easy task, but at this point in the season, it is something that Brooklyn will have to learn to adjust to.
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