The truth of the matter is that JT is a dang fine player. But he's just not at the same level as an offensive generator as the highest of the high in the league. This idea is most obvious during crunch time and during the playoffs, when the game changes in a fundamental way.
And honestly - that's fine! I think we have enough overall talent to still win a chip, even with Tatum not being quite at that very tippy top of offensive creation.
But I do think that means you have more work to do in the crunch time situations, and it's not as simple as just relying on your star(s) to go iso and get you a bucket in those high pressure situations. I wish the coaching staff would realize this and be more authoritative/paternalistic in helping these guys out in these situations, forcing them to run proven actions instead of letting them iso and make it up on the fly.
We’ve been the best team the past two year frankly. The problem is that stars tend to break the model. Curry did it two years ago and joker did it last year. We can certainly do it with team, but it’s easier when you have one of THOSE guys.
But Curry wasn't THAT guy until he was 26 years old. He'd only won ONE playoff series before their first title run. Jokic was 28 last summer. Tatum is still 25.
Maturity matters. IMO Brown and Tatum can generate shots as well as anyone. The problem is their poise. Panicking when the stakes get high. This is something everyone faces, but it usually improves with age. Let's hope that's the case here.
A lot of people seem to forget, Jaylen is still just 26 years old and Tatum 25. Like you said, even some of the greats like Curry, Lebron, Giannis, Durant, etc. didn't actually win until their late 20s. Yeah they've had some close chances and choked, but so did Lebron/Durant/Giannis and others early on. It happens. That's how you grow and learn.
