Jayson Tatum is surprisingly having a poor shooting run from the three-point line, as he has the worst three-point percentage out of all remaining players in the playoffs. Out of all remaining players who are still active, Tatum has the lowest three-point percentage, at 26.6%. Tatum has made just 21 out of his 79 attempted three-point shots.
It hasn’t been a great shooting performance from players in the playoffs. The following players are ahead of Tatum in three-point percentage, but just marginally—T.J. McConnell (28.6%), Aaron Nesmith (29.6%), Luka Doncic (30.1%), Al Horford (30.2%), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (30.4%), Tim Hardaway Jr. (33.3%), Naz Reid (34.0%), Josh Green (34.1%), Pascal Siakam (34.1%), and Obi Toppin (34.6%).
This could be an alarming sign for Tatum and the Celtics, who are looking to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. With Tatum shooting like this from three, it does negatively impact the Celtics’ chances to win the NBA championship, something they failed to do in 2022 due to a poor set of performances from Tatum.
Tatum’s poor shooting hasn’t yet become a problem for the Celtics though, as they were able to beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum put up 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the win, but shot just 1/7 from the three-point line. Tatum’s three-point shooting will have to improve significantly if the Celtics want to win a championship this year.
Jayson Tatum’s Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole Story
Jayson Tatum’s numbers in the playoffs have been solid, but they are not a reliable indicator of his evolution in the postseason. During these playoffs, Tatum has averaged 25.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, while shooting 43.6% from the field and 26.6% from the three-point line.
While these numbers are good in isolation, a look at his previous playoff runs shows that this is not the best version of Tatum.
For comparison, in the 2023 playoffs last year, Tatum’s numbers were better. He averaged 27.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. His shooting numbers were also far better, as he shot 45.9% from the field and 32.3% from the three-point line.
His stats in the playoffs this year have gotten worse, which is showing a degree of regression from him. While most of the stats don’t show a drastic difference, it is his three-point shooting that is the most alarming figure.
We have already seen Tatum underperform in the NBA Finals in 2022, and it cost the Celtics the NBA championship. In the 2022 NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.8 rebounds, which wasn’t enough as the primary option for the Celtics. The Celtics cannot afford a similar performance from Tatum again in the NBA Finals if they are able to reach there.
Tatum is by far the Celtics’ best player and will be relied upon in the rest of these playoffs to lead them. The Celtics entered this season as the favorites to win the NBA championship, and a big reason for their status as favorites was the presence and health of Jayson Tatum. Tatum cannot continue to shoot like this if the Celtics are to live up to those expectations and win the NBA championship.
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