(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Just a couple of months ago, Boston Celtics fans were campaigning for Jayson Tatum to be an MVP candidate.
Fast forward to today, and he wasn’t even the MVP of his own team en route to the NBA Finals.
The former No. 3 pick is struggling mightily with his shot, going 6-for-16 in Game 1 and 6-for-22 in Game 2.
He’s scored 16 and 18 points, respectively, and has drawn plenty of mockery and criticism online.
However, it’s not like he’s missing good looks or wide-open shots by any means.
That’s why, when asked about his struggles, the Duke product claimed that he’s been surrounded by three people every single time he takes a couple of dribbles (via Celtics on NBC Sports Boston).
“Every time I take a couple dribbles, there’s like 3 people”
Jayson Tatum explains his decision to be more of a playmaker this series and why he doesn’t need to score the ball much pic.twitter.com/bewLUpEhGQ
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 10, 2024
That’s right on point.
Tatum has been guarded like a superstar, and while that might seem like a little too much, the Celtics definitely cannot complain about that.
If anything, his teammates are benefitting from the extra defensive attention he’s getting.
So, if he’s just there to be an expensive decoy, they can live with that.
Tatum is usually at his best when he makes the most of his strength, size, and athleticism as a cutter and drives to the rim, as opposed to taking heavily-contested jump shots like he usually does.
Whatever the case, he’s a long shot to win Finals MVP with those numbers, and the narrative around him will always be that he’s not as good as Celtics fans make it seem.
Even so, at the end of the day, no one will be able to take a ring from his finger if the Celtics get the job done.
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