The Boston Celtics just handed the Miami Heat a loss on their home turf in their most recent matchup. All three stars of the Celtics’ dominant offense were on point, as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis each had a 20+ point game. Even though Tatum led the game in scoring for Boston, JJ Redick had a unique take on the Celtics forward, which prompted him to clear the air that he wasn’t hating on the Jordan brand athlete.
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The Boston Celtics defeated a Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat 106-110 at Kaseya Center. While doing commentary for the contest during the live broadcast, JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson talked about Tatum’s shooting stats this season. Redick pointed out how the Boston Celtics are almost unbeatable when Jayson Tatum is draining pull-up jumpers from beyond the arc.
He then went on to say, “You look at the high-volume jump shooters in the NBA over the last two seasons, Jayson Tatum has been one of the worst. One of the most inconsistent.” Redick simply wanted to say that shooting jumpers from the deep has been a weakness for Tatum in recent times. Therefore, if he starts making those shots, then it’s virtually impossible to beat the Celtics.
Richard Jefferson, on the other hand, agreed with Redick and further explained how the Celtics have such a deep roster that if someone like Tatum starts going off from the threes, they are legitimately a Championship team.
After Jefferson’s take, Redick had to clarify on national television that he was not hating on Jayson Tatum but instead, just stating facts, “Fellas, to be clear, I’m not hating on Jayson Tatum. This is factual data.” Jefferson immediately pounced on this opportunity to troll his colleague while he was putting up a disclaimer so that he doesn’t get hate from Tatum fans on Twitter. RJ responded with, “I took it as hating on Jayson Tatum but I’m glad you clarified for the people at home.”
While Redick’s take may have upset a few fans, he did make a factual point regarding the Celtics All-Star. Jayson Tatum is one of the best small forwards in the league and his scoring ability is by no means underwhelming. However, he is definitely not amongst the best pull-up shooters in the league.
As per the official website of the NBA, Jayson Tatum is ranked in the sixth position in pull-up shooting percentages. The 25-year-old is shooting 33.6% from deep when pulling up off the dribble. But when you look at his field goal percentage, Tatum’s 36% does rank him in the bottom half, which is not expected of an All-Star.
The Boston Celtics are looking good
The Boston Celtics currently are the number one team in the Eastern Conference as well as in the league. The team has a 41-12 record and is on a four-game winning streak after defeating the Miami Heat.
As for the game, Jayson Tatum almost finished the game with a triple-double. He had 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. Tatum also got a huge boost from Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis who poured in 20 & 25 points respectively in the Heat matchup.
The Boston Celtics are proving to be one of the hottest contenders for an NBA championship this season. The offseason trades have really boosted the team’s performance and also their chances of winning a championship.
