Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has looked like an MVP candidate for much of this season, just not in the last two games.
Tatum hasn’t risen to the moment against stiffer competition, owning his struggles in an NBA Finals rematch loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and experiencing another poor showing in a defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers two days later.
In those two games, Tatum has combined to shoot 13-for-41 (31.7%) from the field for 38 points, including going 4-for-17 (23.5%) from beyond the arc.
It could just be a couple of off nights from the 6-foot-8 forward that came with bad timing, but Skip Bayless believes there’s more to it than that and is questioning Tatum’s makeup.
“When it comes to superstardom, especially in this sport, there’s some it factor, there’s some whatever you want to call it killer will,” Bayless said on FOX Sports’ “Undisputed” on Tuesday. “Some guys have it — very few have it — and some guys just don’t have it. I’m not sure he has it.
“In some ways, he’s almost like too nice of a guy. He doesn’t have that lock-in factor every single night, where, ‘I’m going to get you. I’m going to take care of this. Whether you like it or not, you can’t stop me.’ When he’s right, he’s as right as anybody.”
It’s too harsh of criticism from Bayless, but when a player reaches a stratosphere that Tatum has, any shortcomings, especially in marquee matchups, will get blown up. And it doesn’t help Tatum that his shrinking on the Finals stage in June is in the back of everyone’s mind.
Questions will continue to linger over Tatum unfortunately despite him being one of the very best players in the NBA. It seems like it will now take the massive task of winning a championship to silence the rest of his doubters.
