Udoka shares candid take on Tatum’s offensive struggles in Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Here’s a less-than-ideal stat for the Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum is currently the 11th-best shooter in the NBA Finals.
Tatum is shooting 37.3 percent from the floor through five Finals games, a lower mark than all but two players on either team (Derrick White and Payton Pritchard) who have attempted at least five shots. He also has struggled in crunch time, hitting just 5 of 21 shots (23.8 percent) in fourth quarters to date.
The Celtics superstar has found other ways to make an impact in this series — he’s averaging a Finals-best 7.0 assists per game — but he won’t find much sympathy from head coach Ime Udoka, who was pretty forthcoming about Tatum’s shooting woes Wednesday.
Jaylen sums up C’s mindset for Game 6: ‘We do not fear the Warriors’
“I would say we evaluate him on not only scoring but how he’s playing in general,” Udoka said at the team’s media availability ahead of Thursday’s Game 6. “From a scoring standpoint at times this whole series, not only fourth quarter, he’s missed some things that he usually makes.”
Tatum might still be bothered by a shoulder injury he suffered in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Warriors have made it difficult on the Celtics star by running double teams at him and crowding him when he has the ball.
But Udoka placed the onus on Tatum to make the right play when the Warriors give him extra attention.
“We do want him to be aggressive and find that balance, as he’s done all year,” Udoka said. “With Golden State specifically, they are trying to take him out at certain times of the game. But it’s on him to read that and us to put him in positions where, understanding he’s going to be doubled and be the bait at times, get everybody else involved. We have to make them pay as far as that.”
Tatum did just that in Game 1, handing out a season-high 13 assists despite going 3 of 17 from the floor to help the Celtics beat the Warriors on the road. Tatum’s decision-making waned in Games 4 and 5, however, as he committed a combined 10 turnovers in Boston’s back-to-back losses.
While Udoka wasn’t shy about highlighting Tatum’s offensive shortcomings, he wants the 24-year-old to keep attacking Thursday in a must-win Game 6 at TD Garden.
“He’s had some stretches where he missed,” Udoka said. “Game 1 stands out, open shots throughout the game. We want him to be aggressive and make the right read, which he’s done all year against all the coverages that he’s seen.”
Tatum has actually shot very well from 3-point range this series at 47.5 percent. The issue has been inside the arc, where he’s connecting on just 30.6 percent of his 2-point field goals. For that number to improve, the C’s need Tatum to finish stronger at the rim and take what the defense gives him when he can’t get to the basket, instead of forcing drives into traffic.
How well Tatum performs with the ball in his hands in Game 6 could determine whether Boston’s season ends Thursday night, or whether the series will shift to San Francisco for a Game 7.
