Tatum ball stopping ways is not healthy basketball

[Somebody]

Unpopular but I like how Tatum plays for the first 3 quarters. It’s when he reverts to hero ball in the 4th that has me scratching my head.

On Harden: if Tatum can draw fouls like harden, I’d be pretty happy. Right now, Tatum’s closer to Kyrie than he is Harden.

How is that take unpopular? Most of the criticism levied at him is about his play in crunch time. And yeah he's more of a fringe All-NBA guy right now.

Well the takes I’ve seen around here are 1) Brown is better than Tatum and 2) Tatum is pretty much like Harden, stopping the offense when he receives it

I wanted to give credit where credit’s due. Tatum plays pretty well for most of the game and this ball-stopping tag is generally undeserved.

1. I'm probably one of the most bullish posters on Brown and I think that they're around the same level now assuming that Tatum hasn't regressed.

2. I do think that Tatum is "similar" to Harden in that regard, the offence does stagnate quite a bit whenever he tries to run an offence, only that he isn't good enough to lead an elite offence that way.

I think his ball-stopping tag is pretty well-deserved, but it doesn't make him a poor player - as you said he plays pretty well for most of the game when he doesn't dial up his aggression.

[Somebody]

At some point it will become apparent that Brown is our best option. Given that he is disposed to actions with movement, and is less inclined to lock in on taking a shot, we'll be better off. The problem is that in the NBA, it takes reps to be effective in those situations.

Brown is much more explosive and creates separation more easily. The evolution of his midrange game is perfect for end of game situations, because it is virtually impossible to stop someone that quick.

Tatum has the beautiful shot and the footwork and ball handling, but he doesn't have that superior burst, and his most comfortable move is the sidestep three, which isn't high percentage enough for end of game when under intense pressure. He had room and time against Brogdon to get a 15 foot shot instead of a 25 foot shot but he doesn't have go to moves for that yet. He needs better mid range separation moves if he's going to win games at the buzzer for us.

I have major doubts over the bolded with how Stevens has treated Brown over the years.

[wiley]

Just another support Tatum post while agreeing that he should keep working on moving the ball, or at least probing instead of showcasing his dribble/handle....

He's 22...no surprise with his talent level that there is some tunnel vision. 

He is a fantastic person by all accounts and a supreme talent...I can wait a couple years for his maturity to rise and turnovers to fall.  Staying within oneself takes time....i

Glad he's a Celtic.

It doesn't help when someone like Scal is constantly telling him (or telling us), that he needs to start "taking over".  This is the wrong message.  No one should just start "taking over" until they are supremely ready.  Also, if a takeover the game persona does not fit a player, then it should never become that player's mantra. 

taking over the game, at Tatum's level of talent, will occur naturally if he focuses on all aspects of the game as a whole.

But if he tries every other game to forcibly take over, it will mean he's listening too much to hype, and to Scal, and the all star/superstar ethos pushed by the league (pushed by fans and bloggers as well).  I always felt the best assassin was a quiet one.  At the moment that describes Brown.

Finally, at 22, Tatum is actually doing very well at everything I've touched on in this thread.  I think he's progressing well in giving all aspects of the game importance.  This post is more in the spirit of a loving push to hurry up and be 24, 25, 26 years old, while recognizing it's not easy to outpace one's years.

And TP to Scal.  After losing Tommy, I'm glad to have Scal in the booth next to Mike. 

[td450]

Just another support Tatum post while agreeing that he should keep working on moving the ball, or at least probing instead of showcasing his dribble/handle....

He's 22...no surprise with his talent level that there is some tunnel vision. 

He is a fantastic person by all accounts and a supreme talent...I can wait a couple years for his maturity to rise and turnovers to fall.  Staying within oneself takes time....i

Glad he's a Celtic.

It doesn't help when someone like Scal is constantly telling him (or telling us), that he needs to start "taking over".  This is the wrong message.  No one should just start "taking over" until they are supremely ready.  Also, if a takeover the game persona does not fit a player, then it should never become that player's mantra. 

taking over the game, at Tatum's level of talent, will occur naturally if he focuses on all aspects of the game as a whole.

But if he tries every other game to forcibly take over, it will mean he's listening too much to hype, and to Scal, and the all star/superstar ethos pushed by the league (pushed by fans and bloggers as well).  I always felt the best assassin was a quiet one.  At the moment that describes Brown.

Finally, at 22, Tatum is actually doing very well at everything I've touched on in this thread.  I think he's progressing well in giving all aspects of the game importance.  This post is more in the spirit of a loving push to hurry up and be 24, 25, 26 years old, while recognizing it's not easy to outpace one's years.

And TP to Scal.  After losing Tommy, I'm glad to have Scal in the booth next to Mike.

Agree, but despite being 22, he's generally considered the best option. Someone does have to shoot the shot.

There is a difference between being the best scorer, and having the type of shot arsenal that means you can get a reliable shot off under intense pressure. It is time and again going to be someone with a super reliable mid range shot, and the dribble skills to get to daylight. That is why Kawhi and LeBron are the safest bet in those situations because they have that in their toolkit.

That's also why I think eventually, Brown will be better at those situations.

[PhoSita]

Yeah I just want everyone to step back and remember how lucky we are to have one of the signature young stars of the league who is under 25 years old and under contract for several years.

This is the position every franchise that isn't already a top tier contender wants to be in.  Some franchises wait decades to get a guy like Tatum.

He's not perfect, he's still improving, he makes mistakes. But we're so lucky that he's our guy. 

We should enjoy it while we can, because in less than five seasons he's unrestricted.