NBA Championship Race: Despite MVP Advocacy, Stephen A. Smith Fears Jayson Tatum Could Mark Celtics’ Doom

Last year, the Boston Celtics got everyone’s attention in the NBA community when they extended Jaylen Brown‘s contract for five years for a record worth of $304 million. Though the Celtics’ star is delivering his worth during the playoff games, there is another player that the analysts are looking for. With a contract extension of $163 million in the 2020 offseason, Jayson Tatum’s performance might not be considered up to the mark, considering his rookie scale max extension. Recently, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith also agreed with the former remark regarding Tatum and predicted a fearsome situation that might clinch the Celtics away from the Championship.

While praising younger prospects from the NBA, like Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen warned Tatum, “Nothing less than greatness is going to be expected from Jayson Tatum, especially when we see guys younger than him putting their greatness on display.” Referring Celtics as the contenders who have been knocking on the Championship door for many years now, Stephen claimed that it’s time for them to get the title with their rigorous squad. However, the shooting woes that followed Jayson resulted in fear for Smith as he stated, “You, Jayson Tatum, you cannot be the reason this team doesn’t capture the chip.”

Smith has always been concerned and supportive of Jayson from the start. Last month, he surprisingly picked Tatum for the MVP award this year, though there are no chances for the Celtics forward. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets are the main rivals, with Jayson being the sixth candidate for the league’s top player honor. Yet Stephen chose Tatum from his end.

However, the concerns that Stephen raised seem to be genuine, considering Jayson’s trouble with shooting on the court.

Will Jayson Tatum’s Shooting Flump cost the Celtics Championship?

Jayson Tatum’s versatility as a player is unquestioned on the court. But the shooting slump he has been facing recently might cost the Celtics heavily in the long term. The recent bangers from the Minnesota Timberwolves are indications that Tatum has to be Tatum if they go against the Wolves in the finals. With young prospects putting everything in time, Jayson is still not performing according to expectations. In the playoffs itself, he has averaged 21.2 points on 16 shots, the lowest total since 2019.

Moreover, his on-field shooting and 3-point range shooting percentage have reduced to 40.6% and 25%, respectively, in the playoffs. Even in the last game against Cavaliers, he only scored 18 points. However, he has averaged 10.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the playoffs, completely fulfilling his different duties on the team. All that he needs to do is to give his all when the team hits a powerful wall in the upcoming games. His hesitation on the court has made him score only two 3s in the last six matches.

At the end of the day, we are talking about a 5x All-Star and Eastern Conference Finals MVP 2022 Jayson Tatum. The Celtics star might figure out everything on his own as the team has kept him off-pressure by crushing the opponents. If Tatum gets back to his original form, there might be no one standing between the Celtics and the NBA Title this year.