Forget the MVP. The Celtics just need Jayson Tatum to perform when it matters most.
Tatum was already a longshot to win MVP, but those hopes were essentially lost in Thursday’s loss to the Nuggets, when the Celtics star failed to make a real impact in the potential NBA Finals preview. But as the Celtics continue their pursuit of an elusive championship, the performance was a reminder that Tatum needs to do a better job of stepping up in those big moments.
Tatum has unquestionably grown in his seventh NBA season. His decision-making and ability to read the game has gotten better. He has guided the Celtics to the best record in the league, and certainly deserved MVP consideration. But as good as he’s become, there was a reality check this week that there’s still another level he needs to reach to lead the Celtics to glory.
The latest proof came Thursday, when Tatum scored just 15 points with eight assists and five turnovers, and missed a wide open, go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute as the Celtics lost 115-109 and were swept by the defending champion Nuggets in the season series. While Jaylen Brown erupted for 41 points and looked primed for the opportunity, Tatum almost resorted to being a spectator. On the other side, two-time MVP Nikola Jokic proved to be the difference with a 32-point triple-double.
The contrast between Jokic and Tatum was noticeable. Jokic, a proven champion, looked comfortable and confident all night. He got to his spots on almost every possession, and was at extreme ease as he gave the Nuggets exactly when they needed – especially in crunch time – to pull out the victory. Meanwhile, Tatum struggled with the different coverages the Nuggets threw at him. He looked uncomfortable. Like other similar situations in the past, he didn’t put his stamp on the moment.
“I don’t try to make it about myself or necessarily (an) individual matchup,” Tatum told reporters in Denver. “That’s just not the way our team is set up. Sometimes it’s the flow of the game, it is your night, you are getting more shots or whatever, but we just have such a well-balanced team that it might not necessarily be your night, other guys may have it going. … I say it all the time, we talk about respecting each other’s space and understanding the flow of the game, so it’s not on me to like, hijack the game and try to make it about me, and it’s a national TV game. Other guys had it going, so if I had to be in the corner, if I had to be a facilitator at times, so be it.”
No one is saying Tatum has to “hijack” the game, but the Celtics do need him to be better on bigger stages. They need him to be better in key moments if they’re going to claim Banner No. 18 come June.
Tatum certainly has his share of clutch, signature playoff performances – Game 6 at Milwaukee in 2022, Game 7 against Philadelphia last season – but the stench of his underwhelming 2022 NBA Finals performance still lingers. He was younger and still trying to find his way then. He turned 26 last Sunday and this should be his time now – especially with the talent that surrounds him.
Tatum has taken some steps this season, but his crunch time woes are still a question. He was unable to lift the Celtics over the Nuggets in the first matchup in January, which included botching the final shot that sealed their first home loss of the season. Those problems resurfaced in Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers, which included poor management of the final possession, when the Celtics trailed by one and Tatum dribbled the last 19 seconds down before missing a fadeaway jumper. Then came Thursday, when his impact was noticeably absent.
In the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ losses to the Cavs and Nuggets this week, Tatum was a combined 2-for-14 shooting. He simply needs to be better in those spots, especially when he commands so much of the ball.
As of Saturday, the Celtics and Nuggets are the betting favorites to meet in the NBA Finals. If that happens, it will be a chess match. As their two meetings this season showed, there’s not much that separates them. But the Nuggets have a championship touch, and the Celtics do not.
“They beat us a couple times. The margin of who wins and who loses is so small,” Kristaps Porzingis said. “It’s very small. It could have gone our way and we’re having a completely different (conversation) and you’re saying, ‘You guys look like you have Denver’s number.’ It could go both ways.”
There are several things that could have flipped Thursday’s matchup. The Celtics could have found a better solution for stopping Jokic. Brown missed seven free throws, which proved critical. But come June, it’s Tatum’s time to show he’s the difference.