Mannix debunks ‘ridiculous’ Tatum narrative after Celtics-Bucks initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Boston
Can the Boston Celtics win a title if their finest participant struggles to ship when it issues most?
Truthful or not, that query has been requested about Jayson Tatum at occasions this season after he is come up brief late in shut video games. The Celtics star has missed a number of pictures on the buzzer this season — a fadeaway jumper in a January loss to the Denver Nuggets stands out — and is taking pictures a team-worst 32 p.c in “clutch” conditions this season (rating inside 5 factors within the ultimate 5 minutes).
However in case you ask Sports activities Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, these numbers do not do Tatum justice, and gloss over the All-Star’s means to step up on a good greater stage.
Mannix joined our Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg on a brand new Celtics Speak Podcast after Boston’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Backyard to debunk the narrative that Tatum is not clutch.
“It’s gotten into the water provide these days that Jayson Tatum is a few sort of legal responsibility on the finish of video games, that he’s not the go-to scorer that a few of these different groups may need, that you may give the ball to they usually can go and make performs. I believe that is ridiculous,” Mannix mentioned.
“I am sufficiently old to recollect Sport 6 of the Philadelphia collection final yr when, after a chilly begin, Jayson Tatum was lights-out within the fourth quarter of that recreation. I am sufficiently old to recollect Sport 7 of that collection when Jayson Tatum had 51 factors.
“You return two years earlier than, with the Celtics dealing with elimination (in Sport 6 of the Jap Convention semifinals in opposition to Milwaukee), Jayson Tatum had 46. I imply, he had 80-something factors within the three video games they received in opposition to Miami (within the 2023 East Finals) and possibly would have had a significantly better recreation in Sport 7 if he did not get damage within the first rattling play.
“I do know there are some statistics that recommend that Jayson Tatum’s clutch time numbers aren’t excellent, however you realize this as a author: you possibly can all the time discover statistics to again up your argument.”
As Mannix identified, Tatum had a way more respectable 44.4 p.c clutch time taking pictures charge through the 2023 playoffs and hit 50 p.c of his clutch time pictures within the 2022 postseason, which included a run to the NBA Finals. So, Tatum has confirmed he is not afraid of the massive moments, and he did all of that earlier than his twenty sixth birthday, which he celebrated earlier this month.
Extra importantly, Tatum is discovering alternative ways to influence the sport down the stretch. After lacking his first 4 pictures of the fourth quarter Wednesday night time, Tatum attacked the paint to attain eight factors within the ultimate two minutes, six of which got here on free throws.
“This man is elite. He is a more in-depth,” Mannix added of Tatum. ” … He noticed a matchup in opposition to Malik Beasley and he attacked it. On the finish of video games that is what I would like. That is a winner. That is the man who can shut video games for this workforce.”
Additionally on this episode:
What’s Mannix’s largest concern in regards to the Celtics?
The significance of Payton Pritchard
Ought to the Celtics need to keep away from Miami within the first spherical?
Giving credit score to Joe Mazzulla
