Jayson Tatum’s scorching form saw Stephen A. Smith back him for MVP. The Boston Celtics forward has been pivotal in the team’s 14-4 run.
While he does face stiff competition from the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic, who have been a constant fixture in the NBA’s MVP ladder updated weekly, the enigmatic analyst has his reasons.
Speaking on ESPN’s NBA Countdown, Smith said it was time to bring Tatum into the mix as the MVP chatter grows.
“I think it’s time for us to start talking about Jayson Tatum as a leading candidate for league MVP honors. He’s averaging 30 on better than 45% shooting. He’s putting on a show on a night-in-night-out basis. Jaylen Brown is no joke either, but Jayson Tatum is clearly the star of this basketball team, they’re clearly the best team in the Eastern Conference right now.”
His thoughts come on the back of Boston’s 125-112 win against the Dallas Mavericks that sees the side top in the East.
Jayson Tatum Has Been Key For The Boston Celtics
The 24-year-old had a solid outing against Dallas, pouring in 37 points, including 13 rebounds and 5 assists.
On that note, credit to his teammate, Jaylen Brown, who had an equally good evening with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and as many assists to further cement the fact that he and Tatum are the best combo in the league right now.
The ongoing edition sees Tatum average 30.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. His last five games see him average 26.0 points, 9.6 boards, and 6.2 assists.
Sharing his thoughts on being MVP earlier, Tatum said it was always a dream of his to win the coveted award.
"It's always been a dream of mine"
Jayson Tatum on potentially winning MVP this season pic.twitter.com/19jGmgjBzW
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 15, 2022
It’s always been a dream of mine. It’s like an honor to even be mentioned or thought of, the idea of me winning MVP. But it was not like a goal of mine coming into the season.
I wanted to play at an MVP level. Meaning playing great basketball, being efficient, and being on one of the best teams. My goal, I’ve said this all summer, preseason is to get back to the Finals and not have that (losing) feeling. Along the way, if we win enough games and I play well enough and able to win that, that’s a dream come true.
It goes without saying that Tatum is one step closer to realizing his dream if he continues to be consistent with the kind of production he’s churning out at the moment.
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