NBA Legend Makes Honest Statement on Jayson Tatum's NBA Finals Performance

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The Boston Celtics lead the Dallas Mavericks 2-0 in the NBA Finals, and are now just two wins away from winning a championship. Star forward Jayson Tatum has struggled with his shot so far in this series, but has contributed in a lot of different ways to help his team take a 2-0 lead.
There has been a lot of discussion about Tatum’s shooting struggles so far, and how Boston has been able to win despite them. Amid this noise, Tatum has maintained that his focus is on playing winning basketball, and while he would like to shoot better, he understands there are other ways to positively impact the game.
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), NBA and LA Clippers legend Jamal Crawford praised Tatum for this mindset.
I salute Jayson Tatum.. His team is UP 2-0 in the finals. And some are criticizing he’s not going for 40 every night..
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) June 10, 2024
Looking at stats, and percentages, then will say “but it’s all about winning “ lol. Make it make sense ‼️
While so much gets placed on the individual production of stars, many forget that basketball is a team game. This is especially true at this stage of the postseason, as all that matters is finding a way to win. Tatum seems to understand this as well as anybody, which is a big reason why his Celtics are just two wins away from an NBA championship.
If Boston finishes off this series, it will largely be due to what Tatum was able to provide, even while his shot was not falling. Not every superstar can positively impact the game while struggling from the field, but Tatum is certainly a player who can.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.
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