"It is not too much to ask for a superstar to play like a superstar" - Kevin Wildes rips into Boston Celtics superstar for his passive play in the Finals
After another poor performance by Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, Kevin Wildes tore into the superstar for his display in Game 5. Wildes pointed out the mistakes that led to the Celtics' downfall on Monday.
Their 94-104 beatdown at the hands of the Golden State Warriors gave Boston its first first back-to-back losses in five months. The dismal showing earned a lot of criticism, and Tatum received the majority of the backlash.
On "First Things First," Wildes started his rant by addressing Tatum's turnover rate in the playoffs. He took a shot at Tatum's passing:
"Jayson Tatum is not only starting for the Celtics, he's giving out souvenirs."
Wildes went on to say:
"It is not too much to ask for a superstar to play like a superstar. That's all I'm asking for. We're asking the role players to play like role players. We're asking Al Horford to play like Al Horford. We're asking Jaylen Brown to play like Jaylen Brown. That's it. We want Tatum to play like Tatum. And he's not.
"He's missing free throws. He's turning the ball over. He's shooting airballs. He's being passive. That's it. I just want Tatum to be who I think he can be – and who he is. And it's not happening and it's not inspiring, which is the most frustrating part."
"It is not too much to ask for a superstar to play like a superstar. That's all I'm asking for. We just want Jayson Tatum to play like Jayson Tatum. And he's not." — @kevinwildes https://t.co/i3FiIocIXA
While Wildes still has hope for the Celtics superstar to have an "Act Three"-type performance, Boston will be in a tough position. Facing elimination on their homecourt on Thursday, Tatum and the Celtics will have the spotlight shine on their every move.
Kevin Wildes' harsh take on Jayson Tatum holds up
Jayson Tatum has undoubtedly shown himself to be one of the most talented players of the generation. Unfortunately, he has failed to do so on the biggest stage.
His numbers for the NBA Finals were impressive as he leads scoring (23.2 points per game) and assists (7.0 per game). However, his high turnover rate in the last two games has been a burden Boston haven't been able to recover from.
Jayson Tatum is having a wild playoffs:
— 1st in points
— 1st in assists
— Most turnovers ever https://t.co/yi7FKnbDTB
As Kevin Wildes mentioned, Tatum has been passive. Considering that the Warriors have put Andrew Wiggins on him, the Celtics star has opted to pass the ball.
While this worked early on, Tatum has been careless in the last two games. With Tatum making errant passes and then showing poor hustle after making mistakes, Boston suffer from the negative body language of its best player.
Jayson Tatum now has 95 turnovers this postseason, the most ever in a single playoffs. https://t.co/S0SHn6FEzq
With a combined total of 18 turnovers in the finals, the last two games themselves have seen Tatum produce 10.
With Game 6 as a do-or-die situation, Boston will have its backs to the wall. Although Tatum produced solid scoring in Game 5, his productivity in the fourth quarter was abysmal and unbecoming of a superstar.
Facing a potentially sour defeat in the Finals, Tatum will have to live up to his reputation as a superstar.