Stephen A. Smith Feels Jayson Tatum’s MVP Candidacy In ‘Grave Jeopardy’

Jayson Tatum has entered a rare rough patch, both individually and as a team for the Boston Celtics, losing two straight games on the road.

After receiving collective criticism for blowing a 22-point lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, Tatum missed a go-ahead shot in a potential NBA Finals preview in Thursday's loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Tatum had gotten a recent boost in MVP conversations around the league. Some have kept to that narrative after the losses while others are not so sure the All-NBA player remains on the path.

"In light of his performance last night, I have to say I'm a bit heartbroken because I think that he's put (his case) in grave jeopardy," ESPN's Stephen A. Smith offered on "First Take" on Friday. "It's not a finished deal. There's still enough games to go for him to make amends."

Smith assessed that Tatum's struggles against big-time teams like Denver are eerily similar to the NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2022. That year, other stars like Jaylen Brown had to step up when Tatum could not find his usual form. Smith believes those results from elite matchups can play into MVP voting this season.

"It reminds folks of the kind of performance we saw in the NBA Finals," Smith added. "You're wondering what you're going to do when you go up against the big teams in the West. You're 0-2 against Denver this year. You're 0-1 against (the Oklahoma City Thunder). You're 1-1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I'm looking at it from that perspective. That is not a good situation for a guy vying for his first league MVP."

Tatum and the Celtics look ahead to snapping the two-game losing streak in Phoenix on Saturday night against the Suns at 8:30 p.m. ET.