Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Set To Make History For Constant Playoff Blunders
Tatum has had a terrible tendency all postseason long
Jayson Tatum is making his mark as a bonafide superstar on the national stage by leading the Boston Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance, going head-to-head with a far more experienced Golden State Warriors core.
That said, the 24-year-old forward still has a lot of developing to do, and he’s experiencing particular growing pains in the turnover department.
Tatum surpassed Dwayne Wade for the second-most turnovers in a single playoff run with 91, and he’s just three away from tying LeBron James for first according to Celtics’ radio voice Sean Grande. Barring injury, the Celtic star will sit atop of the list by the time the NBA Finals conclude.
The good news? He’s strangely in good company, and both players have since become significantly better facilitators since joining the list. Just two seasons later, James would go on to lead the NBA in assists.
The turnovers for Tatum have come primarily as a passer, not a ball-handler, which is why his woes do not stick out as much as teammate Jaylen Brown, who is consistently stripped.
Tatum has +105 odds to exceed 3.5 turnovers in Game 5 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. A $100 bet on the forward would pay out $205. He’s averaging 4.14 per game in 22 playoff games and has 14 in the first four games of the series.
Knowing full well that he is on pace for the most turnovers in NBA Playoff history, it might be worth adding the Over to your card.
Tatum and company will take on the Warriors in a pivotal Game 5 on Monday in Chase Center. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET with the series tied at two apiece.
