Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Jayson Tatum deserves kudos for growth as a playmaker

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Jun 10, 2024 8:48 AM ET

Jayson Tatum has shot 12-of-41 (29 percent) from the field through the first two games of the NBA Finals. And yet, the Celtics are two wins away from raising Banner No. 18.

To his credit, Tatum has found ways to impact the game when his shot hasn't been falling. During Sunday's Game 2 win, the superstar wing had 12 assists and nine rebounds to go with 18 points, with eight of those dimes coming in the first half when Boston's offense hit a slump. In several of those possessions, Tatum went downhill and got to the teeth of Dallas' defense to either find a cutting Jrue Holiday or create a wide-open three for one of his other teammates. Granted Boston didn't convert on several of those opportunities, but Tatum's insistence to attack Dallas' defense put a ton of pressure on Jason Kidd's team.

Below is an example of Tatum noticing a mismatch and attacking the rim to find Holiday.

Big difference for Boston and Jayson Tatum has been when they go quick decisions. Has the matchup vs. Lively, drives right on the catch. Jrue at the dunker spot so Washington steps up, nice pass for two. pic.twitter.com/633CnnDVdo
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) June 10, 2024

Here's another example of Tatum forcing Dallas' defense to collapse by being in attack mode.

Jayson Tatum continues to make plays in this series. Rejects the P&R, sees help and kicks to White. Drive and finish. Knowing the assignment isn't always about scoring. pic.twitter.com/mBHUNbIFfO
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) June 10, 2024

After the game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla explained how Tatum's gravity on the floor created scoring opportunities for his teammates.

"The emphasis on where he's grown over the last few years is to take what the defense gives him and impact the game in many different ways," Mazzulla said of Tatum. "Because of the type of team that we've had, especially this year, he has seen a bunch of different coverages and matchups [and reacted accordingly]. Coming into a game, it's like a puzzle, and he's done a great job of solving the puzzle and doing different things. Tonight, the way [Dallas] was defending him, the most important thing for him was to make plays at the rim. I thought he did a tremendous job for what the game called for."

Perhaps a few years ago, Tatum would have tried to shoot himself out of a slump. He's not that player anymore.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

More must-reads: