Tatum's had a bad start to the year. Actually, it's an understatement to say that.
He's averaging roughly 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. His turnover rate is actually slightly less than previous years.
Problem is the shooting -- 44.7% from 2, 26.2% from deep, and even his free throw percentage is down: 75%.
If Tatum were hitting shots at the same rate as last year (when, remember, his percentages got tanked for a couple months by COVID), he would be scoring 29.6 points per game.
Not to mention, if Tatum were shooting 50.2% on twos, 38.6% on threes, and 86.8% at the line, in all likelihood the Celts would have won a couple of those OT games if not one or two others.
It's hard to fathom why his shooting is this bad. Slow start, small sample ... OK. But he's been Marcus Smart-esque so far this year.
However, it's not just the jumpers that aren't falling. Perhaps more concerning, Tatum is shooting 46.9% on shots from 0-3 feet, compared to 73.5% last season (65.8% for his career).
Is Tatum hurt? If not, what's the explanation here?
