Tony Massarotti
January 25th
Admittedly, this is going to feel like we’re picking on Jayson Tatum. But we’re not. We’re just pointing out that some of the problems that plagued the Celtics in general – and Tatum, in particular – are still a clear and present danger to the Celtics’ chances at an NBA championship.
According to NBA.com, Tatum now ranks fourth in the NBA in turnovers during “clutch” situations, further defined as close games (within five points) in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. The top four players on the list are:
Bradley Beal – 12
James Harden – 10
Jordan Clarkson – 10
Jayson Tatum – 9
So why is this relevant today? Because Tatum had two more big turnovers in the final minutes of the Celtics’ loss to the Miami heat last night, includng an extremely sloppy one on what was the final possession of the game:
Overall last night, Tatum had seven turnovers against Heat, including five in the second half. The seven turnovers matched the total he has last week against Golden State, thwne Tatum committed three unsightly an alarming turnovers in a game the Celtics ultimately one. A full accounting of his turnovers is show here:
Is this all a death sentence for the Celtics? Of course not. There’s a lot of basketball to be played and it’s important to remember that Tatum is still a developing player. But teams are now regularly pressuring him when he has the ball in the final, key moments of games – and they will continue to do so as long as Tatum keeps making some of the ugly, worrisome mistakes he has been making.
