“I’m not ready for this season to be over” - Boston Celtics’ 3x NBA All-Star maintains defiant tone ahead of elimination Game 6 at home
Jayson Tatum was in great spirits ahead of the Boston Celtics' elimination Game 6 contest against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
The three-time All-Star made a defiant statement, saying he isn't ready for the season to be over. Here's what he told ESPN:
"The mindset is to do whatever it takes to win. At most we got two games left, you know, and I'm not ready for the season to be over with. So, you know, get some rest tonight, be ready tomorrow and you know do whatever it takes."
Tatum hasn't been as efficient as he would've liked in the finals. He has averaged 23.2 points per game on 36/45/64 splits while committing 3.6 turnovers per contest. The Celtics star has received plenty of criticism for his inconsistent performances.
Jayson Tatum has 95 turnovers this playoffs, the most by a player in a single postseason ever. https://t.co/2emuJt9tYv
Tatum hasn't paid much attention to the criticism, though. Here's what he said regarding this:
"I'm not watching TV. I'm not on social media, on Twitter. When I come home, I'm playing basketball in the driveway with Duece or watching a movie.
"So I'm not paying attention to any of that, what people are saying or not saying. You know that's (criticism) is always gonna be there. That's just part of what we do."
Jayson Tatum is key to the Boston Celtics' hopes of forcing a Game 7
Jayson Tatum has been instrumental in helping the Boston Celtics get to the NBA Finals. He has matured immensely, understanding his role as a leading player on a title-contending team.
Tatum has learned to make adjustments to his game, improving his defensive play and his playmaking. However, he has struggled to replicate that during the NBA Finals.
Jayson Tatum is the youngest player in NBA history with
600 PTS
100 REB
100 AST
in a single playoffs. https://t.co/IjKWNJzuSj
During Game 5, there were several instances where Tatum rushed into shots early on the shot clock. His inability to make quick decisions led to turnovers, which contributed to the Boston Celtics' loss.
The Celtics had a lot of head-slapping turnovers in Game 5. Here’s 50 seconds of comically bad drives.
Tatum launching his first pass of the night into the crowd was a harbinger of what was to come. https://t.co/gaBIZrDYeg
Boston coach Ime Udoka outlined that Jayson Tatum has been hunting for fouls, which is something the latter needs to stop doing.
"At times he's looking for fouls... but sometimes hunting fouls instead of going to finish"
Ime Udoka on Jayson Tatum's struggles at the rim https://t.co/i9MeaLXJ0E
Tatum needs to use his size and length to his advantage over smaller defenders to shoot over them. He also has to be more cautious when driving to the rim, as the Warriors' defense has found success limiting him in that area.