"Only player that you can come even remotely close to comparing him to is Kevin Durant" - Draymond Green on Boston Celtics maverick
Draymond Green had the opportunity to play alongside Jayson Tatum in the summer before facing him in the NBA Finals. The two played with each other for team USA, so Green is aware of how dangerous young Boston Celtics star can be.
The Boston Celtics have had a challenging road in the playoffs so far, but Tatum has managed to carry them when needed.
Although Tatum has struggled to score in the NBA Finals against the Warriors, Green still considers him a huge threat. Tatum has averaged 23.2 points over the past five games and is yet to make a big impact against Steve Kerr’s unit.
However, it is clear that Green doesn’t want to take him lightly. On the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” Green showered praise on the Celtics youngster by comparing him to Kevin Durant.
“JT is a legit 6-foot-10. The only player that you can even come remotely close to comparing him to in this league is Kevin Durant. And we all know how I feel about Kevin Durant and what I think about him on the offensive end. One of the greatest scorers we’ve ever seen.
“Jayson Tatum is like a young version of that. Obviously don’t have all the experience that Kevin has. Kevin’s what in his 15th or 16th year, JT’s in his fifth. And so, you’ll continue to see that grow, but nonetheless, who he is right now is absolutely amazing.”
Playing on Team USA in the summer gave Tatum an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the greatest in the game, including Durant.
Fast forward to the NBA playoffs and Tatum put on a show against Durant's Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics swept the Nets as Tatum played with utmost confidence, showing his maturity.
KD had high praise for Jayson Tatum after the latter's 27-point performance in Team USA's win. 🤝🇺🇸 https://t.co/iijSgHuB8m
Draymond Green highlighted the effectiveness of Jayson Tatum by sharing an anecdote from his summer with Team USA. He said:
“I told y’all before – at USA, it was Kevin’s team. We all knew, we all know it – no problem, like it’s what it is. Kevin too, you can see Kevin kinda do it – ushering JT into it being his team.
“It’s like when we needed a bucket, you know K was doing his thing. But when we needed a bucket, alright now, go to JT. JT go get us a bucket.”
Draymond Green applauds Wiggins’ defensive intensity against Jayson Tatum
Andrew Wiggins has been adding value on both ends for the Warriors, rising to the challenge on the big stage. He’s been getting better with every passing game. He's also almost always handed the responsibility of guarding the opponent’s best scorer and has stepped up to the task.
Wiggins caused a lot of problems for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals. He is now replicating that effort against Jayson Tatum. Tatum is shooting just 37.3% in the finals, having had to take some really tough shots due to defensive pressure from Wiggins.
Andrew Wiggins put CLAMPS on Tatum and the Celtics in Game 5 🔒
He’s found a home in Golden State https://t.co/rYEVMH5i27
Green commended Wiggins for his defensive effort.
“For Wiggs to do the job that he’s been doing defensively is just a true testament to his will. And his want to be great on the defensive end, as he’s been all playoff long.”
Wiggins will need to come out prepared in Game 6. Expect Jayson Tatum to take his game to a higher level, considering the position the Celtics are in. They're down 3-2 and are facing a must win Game 6.