Jayson Tatum has been the topic of recent discussion as the NBA Finals near Game 5, but it’s been in ways the young star probably had not hoped.
The Boston Celtics forward is struggling, there’s no doubt about that. But the reason behind his continuing struggles is arguable.
The Warriors are holding Tatum to a historically low 34.1 hooting percentage in the first four games, the lowest by any player with at least 20 shot attempts per game in a Finals series ever.
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Andrew Wiggins can take credit for that.
Wiggins has been the primary defender on Tatum in the Finals, and probably his worst nightmare, too.
During the Warriors’ Game 4 win at TD Garden on Friday, Wiggins held Tatum to 23 points on 23 shots. Tatum went 4-for-8 from beyond the arc but 8-for-23 from inside it.
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Those numbers oddly have represented how his shooting has played out this series. His struggles appear to be from 2-point range, but his 3-point shooting hasn’t really been an issue.
Tatum tipped his hat to Golden State but knows he has to step up.
"I mean, I give them credit, they're a great team," Tatum told reporters after Game 4. "They're playing well. They got a game plan, things like that. But it's on me. I got to be better. I know I'm impacting the game in other ways, but I got to be more efficient, shoot the ball better, finish at the rim better."
Still, as the team’s star, Tatum's numbers have been below average given what the world knows he can do. And the pressure lies on the 24-year-old as Game 5 is back in San Francisco at Chase Center.
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"I just got to be better," Tatum said after the Celtics’ Game 4 loss. "I know can be better."
They say defense wins championships, and if the Warriors can continue locking down Boston’s biggest offensive threat, they might just prove that to be true.