(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics have a legitimate star in Jayson Tatum.
However, even though he’s posted MVP-caliber numbers for years, some fans in the league — except for Celtics fans, for obvious reasons — are far from impressed with him.
The narrative around Tatum is that he tends to choke in big moments, and while no one denies that his numbers are quite impressive, he also plays with an elite supporting cast.
Fans online mock Tatum for scoring most of his points in blowouts and in games that are already decided, adding that he’s not a true MVP candidate because his team doesn’t seem to need him to win games.
Notably, a recent tweet by StatMuse seems to back up that claim, as the Celtics are actually 5-0 in this playoffs when Tatum shoots below 40%.
The Celtics are 5-0 when Jayson Tatum shoots below 40 FG% this playoffs. pic.twitter.com/K4Y35caWWP
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 7, 2024
Jaylen Brown has been the Celtics’ star in this playoff run, even winning Eastern Conference Finals MVP over him.
Still, context matters as well.
Just like Tatum’s inflated numbers don’t tell the whole picture, we could say the same about this stat.
Yes, the Celtics are stacked, and they have more than enough firepower to overcome Tatum’s shooting woes.
However, they also have plenty of wide-open and easy shots just because Tatum is there, as he often draws double-teams and plenty of defensive attention.
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