Former Duke basketball star [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag], now the leader of the Boston Celtics, deserves more credit for his postseason performances in the eyes of ESPN’s Timothy Legler.
“I think we’re seeing a guy that is better than we give him credit for,” Legler said.
Tatum averaged at least 25 points per game in each of the last five postseasons, and he sports a career postseason average of 24.0 through seven seasons. He averaged 30.6 points per game in the 2020-21 playoffs, but his field-goal percentage of 44.2% and 3-point percentage of 35.1% routinely get brought up against him.
He’s averaged at least 10 rebounds in three different playoff runs, including this season and last season, and he’s dealt at least five assists in each of the last three years. He set a postseason career-high with 6.2 assists en route to an NBA Finals appearance in 2022.
The ESPN analyst also pointed out that Tatum has hit some big shots in his playoff career, such as his two clutch baskets during an overtime victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against Indiana.
“I think the guy gets beat up because we’re expecting him to have broken through at least at some point because of how many times he’s been on the doorstep,” Legler said. “Truth of the matter is, his numbers are pretty darn good year after year in the postseason.”
.@LegsESPN believes Jayson Tatum is "better than we give him credit for."
Agree? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Bu0RegBiae
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 23, 2024
Tatum and the Celtics look to take a 2-0 lead over the Pacers and move within two games of a second Finals appearance on Thursday night.