Jayson Tatum fires back at 'softest superstar' criticism

The post was likely directed at former NBA player Brandon Jennings, who referred to Tatum as the "softest Boston Celtics superstar ever" on the "Gil's Arena podcast" last week. 

Skills coach Drew Hanlen took serious issue with the comments and reminded Jennings that "a soft player" wouldn't have scored 51 points in Game 7 of a playoff series — as his client did in 2023. 

Tatum earned the reputation of being "soft" during the 2022 NBA Finals when many felt he was physically overwhelmed by Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and other Warriors. The Celtics star shot 36% from the field in the six-game series. However, Tatum has done a lot since those Finals to debunk that narrative, especially with his two 31-point outings against the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Is the soft label justified? 

The forward's playing style has also contributed to him being labeled "soft" by some analysts. This season, Tatum has attempted only 237 field goals (out of 687) within 10 feet from the basket, and 41 field goals from the 10-14 feet region. As such, Tatum has garnered the reputation of a player who avoids physical contact and prefers hoisting threes. In comparison, the smaller Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has attempted 342 field goals within 10 feet, and 129 in the 10-14 feet region.

Tatum, though, has little to gain by heeding outside noise or criticism. Regardless of how he gets his points, the bottom line is he's averaging 28.1 points, 9.2 rebounds (career-high) and 5.5 assists (career-high), and the Celtics are the overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions.