(Dallas) There have been two versions of Jayson Tatum during the NBA Finals so far.
First, the first version, which only makes 31.6% of its shots from the floor (12-in-38), is by far the worst efficiency rate of all the starters in this series between its Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Then, the second version, which ranks second in the final in total rebounds and leads the series in assists.
Adding it all up, the Celtics seem entirely happy with what they’re seeing from Tatum, as usual. The Boston squad holds a 2-0 lead in the final heading into the third match, Wednesday evening in Dallas. The best team in the NBA this season is therefore halfway to 18e title of his story.
“I know I have to be more efficient,” Tatum said Tuesday. I need to shoot the ball better and I wouldn’t disagree on that. I don’t let that bother me though. I always try to find ways to make an impact in a match and dominate in other aspects of the game.”
PHOTO STEVEN SENNE, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Jayson Tatum (with the ball)
It’s not a good idea to go a little too in-depth into Tatum’s stats during this series, or even adding in those from the 2022 NBA Finals, due to the sample size. He only participated in eight final matches and that’s not enough to draw any conclusions.
That being said, even though his efficiency is surprisingly poor – no player who has attempted as many shots as Tatum in the Finals in the last 60 years has posted such a low percentage – he is on the verge of something historic . If his per-game averages of 17 points, 10 rebounds and 8.5 assists hold for the remainder of the series, he would become just the second player in history to finish the Finals with those numbers.
The other is LeBron James, who accomplished the feat on four occasions.
“Criticism is the ultimate beauty,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. It is a sign of ultimate respect. I really like the way Jayson handled this. It’s simply a testament to who he is. »
It’s good news for the Mavericks to have done well against Tatum in the first two duels.
The bad news, of course, is that it didn’t matter much. Tatum got on the scoresheet in other ways and the Celtics won their first two games at home to start the Finals.
“I think he’s one of the best players in the world,” insisted Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. You’re just trying to make things difficult for him. That’s all you can do. It’s about defending the first movement, the second, the third and contesting your shot. Our guys are doing it at a high pace, trying to make it difficult for him. »
PHOTO STEVEN SENNE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jason Kidd
From an efficiency standpoint, these two games in the Finals constitute Tatum’s worst two-game stretch this season. He was slightly better in mid-January, when he shot 31.7% against the Denver Nuggets and then the Houston Rockets.
After this small series of failures, Tatum had scored 39 points. The Mavericks should know better, because it was against them. So they’re probably assured that Tatum’s bad streak won’t last much longer.
“Over time, you learn to deal with the outside noise and the extra attention, whether it’s positive or negative,” Tatum said. I’m intelligent. I know when I am doing things at a high level and when I need to do them better. I am aware of what is happening. At the same time, I just want to stick to the basics and focus on winning the next game. That’s what’s most important. »