Tatum’s Finals Performance

[C3LTSF4N]

I accept the loss and know we’ll grow from the experience.  Maybe I’m reaching here but what are honest opinions on Tatum’s performance? 

Was the Warriors’ defense that good to shut him down that much in an elimination game in Boston?  Do you think his shoulder is actually hurt?  Could it be more serious than we think?  Something seems off.

He shot around 36% for the series and had 13 points in game 6.  That’s it?  Just played bad?

[GreenlyGreeny]

Better than LeBron in 2007 and 2011. But not by much. Not the same since the shoulder injury. He’s first-team all-NBA for a reason, and is our reason for being perennial contenders the next 10-12 seasons perhaps. He’ll do better next time.

[ozgod]

I was wondering that too. He didn't seem to have the same explosiveness at the rim that he did earlier in the playoffs after suffering that stinger. I don't want to make excuses for him though. Definitely the Warriors were throwing a lot of different looks at him. He's shooting fine from 3 but terrible from 2, particularly in the paint.

[RJ87]

This isn't an excuse, but I really do think the shoulder injury was worse than the team disclosed.

Also, Ime needs to figure out a way to get him easier looks. Too many times we just passed it to him in the post or at the top of the key for him to immediately be doubled. Run him off some screens or pins downs. Throw in a few dribble hand-offs.

[celticinorlando]

Tatum has played a lot of basketball since last summer. A lot.

He lost his legs after the ECF. Just had no lift at all left.

[SparzWizard]

Not a superstar yet. Playing at a Paul George/Knicks Carmelo Anthony level. I expected him to be KD this season. But he not there, at least not yet.

[Goldstar88]

I accept the loss and know we’ll grow from the experience.  Maybe I’m reaching here but what are honest opinions on Tatum’s performance? 

Was the Warriors’ defense that good to shut him down that much in an elimination game in Boston?  Do you think his shoulder is actually hurt?  Could it be more serious than we think?  Something seems off.

He shot around 36% for the series and had 13 points in game 6.  That’s it?  Just played bad?

Golden state had the 3rd best defense in the NBA this year. The Warriors game plan was to take the ball out of Tatum’s hand every time and force someone else to beat them. They were blitzing and doubling him each time he had the ball. It was a smart strategy and Tatum and Udoka didn’t know how to deal with it. The Celtics tried to do the same to Curry, but their offense is just better and Kerr has plays to get him open.

[jpotter33]

Like most things in life, probably a bit of everything - shoulder injury, fatigue (lots of basketball over last several years with Olympics and Covid), inexperience/immaturity, his teammates not stepping up to help him.

I think one thing to note though is that Tatum hasn’t had a full offseason is several seasons to work on his game. I expect a jump from him next year after getting a full offseason under his belt to work in his craft. He’s far from perfect, but I do think this is an experience that will drive him to be better. Hopefully the same is true of JB, too.

[Csfan1984]

I give him a C+
I expected more but constant double teams and never getting calls threw him off this series. Had there been better outside shooting I feel Tatum shoots better from the spacing. He should learn from this and hopefully he embraces speedy decisions and working back to the ball in open spots. Too often he stopped moving after the first pass.

C+ for JB as well. Brown needs to stop disappearing, tighten up his handles, and pass the ball faster before he is trapped.

D+ for Smart. Just not the general and his defense was lacking.

D+ for Al. Too little too often in more ways than one.

B for TL. Solid effort despite the injury.

D+ for White. He was the same as Al and Smart. Underperformed too often.

F for PP and GW. They fell off the map.

[keevsnick]

He scored 129 point on 120 shots with a TS% of 48%. Just absymal. The stranger thing is how he did it, he shot like 45% from three. but like 35% from two. He. Could. Not. Hit. A. Layup. Just notihng going isndie the arc.

It wasn't even like he was being doubled constantly, or blitzed out of the PnR, or pressured full court or anything like that. Sure, the Warriors mixed in some of that here and there but mostly they just put Wiggins on him, flashed some help on drives, dared him to beat them one on one and... he didn't.

It was strangely similar t the wya he started the season. the guy has a fluidity issue when he gets deep in the paint.

[DocomoCelts]

We've got 2 Scottie Pippens in the Js.  Not terrible by any means, but no true dog that we can rely on to lift and carry the team.

[Rondo9]

We've got 2 Scottie Pippens in the Js.  Not terrible by any means, but no true dog that we can rely on to lift and carry the team.

Sooo trade them? 

[DocomoCelts]

We've got 2 Scottie Pippens in the Js.  Not terrible by any means, but no true dog that we can rely on to lift and carry the team.

Sooo trade them? 

Not untouchable for me, but depends what we get and in Brad we'll have to trust.

[ozgod]

Washburn's latest article takes aim at everyone in the Cs organization. Here's what he had to say about Tatum.

Tatum looked exhausted at the end, frustrated by Andrew Wiggins’s brilliant defense but also slowed from a stretch where he played for Team USA in the Olympics, took a quick break, and then headed right into training camp.

But the Warriors exposed his weaknesses: His ability to consistently drive to his left, his trouble finishing at the rim, and his habit of stopping in the middle of play after non-calls.

It’s part of a superstar’s journey. Magic Johnson was humbled. Kobe Bryant was humbled. LeBron James was humbled. And Jayson Tatum was humbled. But this isn’t all his fault. Adjustments weren’t made, and if they were, the players didn’t execute them well enough. Udoka understandably didn’t trust anyone deep into his bench, including former first-round pick Aaron Nesmith and a bunch of journeymen that Stevens threw together during this tumultuous season.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/17/sports/celtics-theres-plenty-blame-go-around/

[Larry for 3]

It really was a pathetic performance.