NBA analyst says Jayson Tatum can't "mentally and physically" wear down an opponent akin to Luka Doncic
Jayson Tatum is back in the NBA Finals with Boston Celtics for the second time in the last three years but an analyst remains unconvinced that the five-time NBA All-Star is the singular force that would lead his team over the hump and become champion. In making his case, the league observer compared the Celtics star to Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, the team they will face in the Big Dance.
Speaking on his "Hoops Tonight" podcast, Jason Timpf fielded a question on Tatum's performance when the stakes are higher like in the playoffs. He said that while the former Duke player has the numbers to back himself up, he is still not impressed to even put Tatum on par with the likes of Doncic, Nikola Jokic,Boston C and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Timpf said:
"I don't think Tatum is capable of doing what Luka Doncic did [in the closeout Game 5 of the Western Conference finals]. I don't think Tatum can mentally and physically dominate an opponent and get them to lose their confidence. I don't think Tatum has the ability to reach the heights that the top players in the league can reach, right?"
Check out what he had to say below, beginning at 24:18:
The Celtics and Mavericks will begin their best-of-seven NBA Finals series on June 6 at the TD Garden in Boston.
Beantown is coming off a sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals while Dallas eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, with Doncic nearly single-handedly taking the fight out of the Timberwolves in the opening half of the series-clinching Game 5.
In the ongoing playoffs, Jayson Tatum is leading the charge for the Celtics, with team-high averages of 26 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists to go along with 1.1 steals in 41 minutes of play.
Jayson Tatum out for redemption in second trip to the NBA Finals
Jayson Tatum lost in his first NBA Finals appearance with the Boston Celtics in 2022 and is out for redemption as they make another go at the title against the Dallas Mavericks beginning next week.
The Celtics will host the first two games of their best-of-seven NBA Finals series against the Mavericks. They are looking to capitalize on it to move ever closer to winning their long-sought 18th NBA title.
In a report that came out of ABC News, Jayson Tatum discussed the significance of their upcoming NBA Finals showdown with the Mavericks and how their previous finals appearance is serving as a motivation for them.
The 26-year-old five-time NBA All-Star said:
"Obviously, we've been there before, we came up short. And a great opportunity to make it to the Finals again. You don't always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can."
The Celtics faced the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and were defeated in six games. Jayson Tatum averaged 21.5 points, seven assists, and 6.8 rebounds in the series.