Finals Game 2 MVP Poll: BOS 105 DAL 98

[scaryjerry]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

[Redz]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

He?s turned into Ben Simmons with better free throw shooting lol

[green_bballers13]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

He's not the MVP. That is Jaylen or Jrue through 2.

I don't think Jayson is scoring well, but I like his game. He's facilitating, rebounding, and playing defense.

[LilRip]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

1 reb away from a triple double. You don?t get this from ?just a role player?. Jrue was huge but let?s not act like he just put the team on his back.

[keevsnick]

I just re-watched that White/Brown block and you know as impressive of a play as that was I think Washington just sort of messed up the dunk. White get6s his hand on the block but that's not what causes the ball to come lose, what causes it is the ball solidly hits the front of the rim and comes lose which is when Jaylen then blocks it.

Maybe White hitting the ball causes the dunk to come up sort,m but I think Washington just jumped too early becasue he saw the pressure coming. So really it was the pursuit from both Brown and White that causes the miss more than even the actual block.

[scaryjerry]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

1 reb away from a triple double. You don?t get this from ?just a role player?. Jrue was huge but let?s not act like he just put the team on his back.

6/22 is absolutely horrid and I?m sick of fans saying it isn?t. I gave him credit for contributing to the team winning which at the end of the day is all that matters, he?s not playing great though and he isn?t the mvp of either of the first 2 games and hardly deserves any votes

[Phantom255x]

Tatum should absolutely be shooting better. He was 6/22 and has been a combined 12-38 while even missing easy open looks mid-ranges or layups.

That said, every time I see him he's either guarded by 3 or 4 people OR he's doubled right outside the arc. The C's aren't doubling Luka but the Mavs are doubling/tripling Tatum and to his credit, Tatum has mostly been making the right reads and decisions. Doncic is capable of doing so as well.

I can't imagine this will last all series. Some of Tatum's open looks and 3s have to start falling.

[Atzar]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

1 reb away from a triple double. You don?t get this from ?just a role player?. Jrue was huge but let?s not act like he just put the team on his back.

6/22 is absolutely horrid and I?m sick of fans saying it isn?t. I gave him credit for contributing to the team winning which at the end of the day is all that matters, he?s not playing great though and he isn?t the mvp of either of the first 2 games and hardly deserves any votes

Nobody disagrees with you on the 6/22.  We just value the rest of what he's doing more than you do, that's all.

The man is pulling the Mavs defense apart with his playmaking.  Jrue straight up acknowledged that most of his points came off of feeds from JT (I say that as somebody who gave Jrue three votes for G2).  He can't throw it in the ocean but he's still doing a hell of a job running this offense and anchoring this defense. 

[scaryjerry]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

1 reb away from a triple double. You don?t get this from ?just a role player?. Jrue was huge but let?s not act like he just put the team on his back.

6/22 is absolutely horrid and I?m sick of fans saying it isn?t. I gave him credit for contributing to the team winning which at the end of the day is all that matters, he?s not playing great though and he isn?t the mvp of either of the first 2 games and hardly deserves any votes

Nobody disagrees with you on the 6/22.  We just value the rest of what he's doing more than you do, that's all.

The man is pulling the Mavs defense apart with his playmaking.  Jrue straight up acknowledged that most of his points came off of feeds from JT.  He can't throw it in the ocean but he's still doing a hell of a job running this offense and anchoring this defense.

I?ve said in every post about the matter that he is contributing to winning and I value his passing in this series. He isn?t playing great and he is at highest 3rd in mvp for both games and I just can?t listen to people tell me he?s playing amazing. He isn?t. He?s contributing on an amazing team. It?s not about him.

[Who]

Tatum reminds me of Bird in 1981. Bird couldn't shoot / score in that series but he absolutely dominated. He was the best player on the court. He missed out on the MVP though with Max (undeservingly) getting it over Bird [edit: as voters focused too much on scoring / shooting numbers and overlooked how much Bird was impacting the game with his rebounding & passing].

Bird 1981 Finals - 15ppg 15rpg 7apg
Tatum 2024 Finals - 17ppg 10rpg 8.5apg

[scaryjerry]

Tatum reminds me of Bird in 1981. Bird couldn't shoot / score in that series but he absolutely dominated. He was the best player on the court. He missed out on the MVP though with Max (undeservingly) getting it over Bird.

Bird 1981 Finals - 15ppg 15rpg 7apg
Tatum 2024 Finals - 17ppg 10rpg 8.5apg

He simply isn?t ?dominating? and simply isn?t the best player on the court. He?s a good defender but he is being targeted by the mavs as our weakest defender and his shooting has been atrocious. He?s contributing to winning with his passing but even that isn?t mesmerizing by any stretch. It?s been good.

[scaryjerry]

The Tatum centric Celtics fans are truly bizarre at this point. Yes he had a decent all around game but the guy can?t throw it in the ocean and he looks visibly in his own head/scared and no he?s not being quadruple teamed on every play. He missed plenty of good looks and 1 on 1 opportunities. He deserves maybe a pity vote in this MVP poll.

Imagine having a team that is 6 or 7 deep scoring that allows your best player to have off nights. He has not scored well...yet. But I would not announce him dead and buried just yet. He is doing other things to facilitate winning.

He is going to be very important in the next 2 games on the road.  Big game scoring from him is coming IMO.

I don?t disagree with anything you said I?m just pointing out what I?m seeing. He?s not playing great. He?s playing a role in us winning games no doubt but to vote him the overall mvp of this game? Delusional.

1 reb away from a triple double. You don?t get this from ?just a role player?. Jrue was huge but let?s not act like he just put the team on his back.

You don?t get near triple doubles from role players? Huh?
What did you consider rondo on those Big 3 Celtics teams?
Tatum hasn?t put anything on his back. He?s been a part of a great team.

[Who]

The more interesting question is who do you have as the MVP for the first 2 games? I think JB slightly over Jrue?

Under this voting system, after two games I have voted

4 = Tatum
3 = Jrue
2 = Jaylen, Porzingis
1 = D White

If I were to use a different voting system. I would have loved to have 6 guys a vote in Gm 1 but Tatum, Jaylen and Porzingis were just flat out better than Jrue, Horford, D White so I went 2, 2, 2. But if I had more votes I would go 2, 2, 2 and 1, 1, 1. Then in Gm 2, I went 3 for Jrue, 2 for Tatum, 1 for D White. I would have liked to have given Jaylen 1 and Porzingis 1. So under that voting I would have:

4 = Tatum, Jrue
3 = Jaylen, Porzingis
2 = D White
1 = Horford

This is more aligned with where I am. I have it more between Jrue & Tatum with Jaylen in 3rd place. I have Jrue slightly ahead of Tatum for the moment. Lot of time left in the series though. It could still swing in any of the top 4 guys favour.

It is also impressive how balanced the top of the contributions have been. 2 players on 4 and 2 players on 3. Very close. Nobody is a runaway leader at this point. All bunched together.

[Who]

I loved Tatum's passing in Gm 1. And in Gm 2. But particularly in Gm 1 were I felt he did not get enough credit. He did not end up with as much assists and had higher turnovers. It did not look impressive in the box score but I thought it was highly impressive.

What I loved about his passing the most in Gm 1 was the number of interior passes. So lots of guys drive and then kick out for a 3. Tatum was driving and then a finding a cutter. In Gm 2 those often turned into layups. In Gm 1, same pass, same situation, Dallas collapsed on the cutter and forced the cutter to kick out for the 3 instead of conceding the layup. This sometimes led directly to a 3 or often to 1-2 extra passes and then an open shot attempt. But it all started because of Tatum who unzipped Dallas' defense and created the open space and time for his teammates to attack.

Also, the interior pass was much more valuable than the kick out because it is harder to defend. The kick out keeps the defense in between the ball and rim. The interior pass puts the ball inside of the defense and the rim. It is more incisive. It forces the defense more out whack, off balance, more collapsing and out of position. It creates better opportunities than a simple drive and kick pass.

Tatum has been making these wonderful passes for two games now. He has been destroying Dallas' defense with his passing. Everyone else is getting good FG% / scoring efficiency precisely because Tatum is the one creating so many of those easy opportunities for them. He has a hand in all of it.

Tatum has been the straw that stirs the drink.

[jpotter33]

Tatum reminds me of Bird in 1981. Bird couldn't shoot / score in that series but he absolutely dominated. He was the best player on the court. He missed out on the MVP though with Max (undeservingly) getting it over Bird.

Bird 1981 Finals - 15ppg 15rpg 7apg
Tatum 2024 Finals - 17ppg 10rpg 8.5apg

He simply isn?t ?dominating? and simply isn?t the best player on the court. He?s a good defender but he is being targeted by the mavs as our weakest defender and his shooting has been atrocious. He?s contributing to winning with his passing but even that isn?t mesmerizing by any stretch. It?s been good.

Hilarious.

Luka scored over him a few times, as the best iso player in the league tends to do, but they hardly ?targeted him as the weakest defender?. Nonsense.

Real Nick Wright vibes going on with you irrational Tatum hate.