Tatum is having an all time bad finals

[RRR3]

Credit to Curry for carrying his Warriors and credit to the rest of the Celtics for competing hard but my god this is just pathetic by Tatum. He can’t even shoot 35% on a team with multiple weapons? Not to mention the constant inexplicable turnovers because he can’t pass. Never call him a superstar again.

[ImKobe]

....are we sure he's better than Ingram?

[RRR3]

....are we sure he's better than Ingram?
lol I knew this would make you happy.

[TheGoatest]

His Kobe tribute finals have been on-point so far.

https://cdn-wp.thesportsrush.com/2022/06/a1ae01a9-untitled-design-40.jpg

He should be dominating these finals. He should be a matchup nightmare for the Warriors. But it really is remarkable how poorly he has been playing considering all this.

[PeroAntic]

And hes still having a huge impact and top 2 performer of his team. Weird af.

[RRR3]

And hes still having a huge impact and top 2 performer of his team. Weird af.
What? No he isn’t lmao he’s killing them he was the reason they lost tonight.

[RRR3]

His Kobe tribute finals have been on-point so far.

https://cdn-wp.thesportsrush.com/2022/06/a1ae01a9-untitled-design-40.jpg

He should be dominating these finals. He should be a matchup nightmare for the Warriors. But it really is remarkable how poorly he has been playing considering all this.
Kobe had some bad finals but I can’t think of any he had even close to this bad as the first option. Unless you count 2004 as him being first option. Still Tatum isnt Kobe that’s for sure.

[FultzNationRISE]

And hes still having a huge impact and top 2 performer of his team. Weird af.

We must be watching different series.

[RRR3]

We must be watching different series.
You’re talking to someone who thinks Derrick Rose is comparable to LeBron.

[ImKobe]

And hes still having a huge impact and top 2 performer of his team. Weird af.

He's shooting 34% for the series.

[RRR3]

He's shooting 34% for the series.
Lol this is like Christmas for you isn’t it

[warriorfan]

Thread backfire. Whiny ass op getting jizzed on

[PeroAntic]

Hes not taking over because analytics, gotta share the ball, look for the open three etc etc.

[ImKobe]

Lol this is like Christmas for you isn’t it

I told y'all he wasn't no Kobe or no damn superstar. I'd take current Bran over Tatum. Bran shot better from 3 on similar volume and is better at finishing through contact but people wanted to put Tatum on that level. Lmao.

[1987_Lakers]

I believe if Curry is able to pull off the W, you would have to rank him ahead of Kobe. Kobe was never this good in the biggest stage.

[Wally450]

I wouldn't say all time bad, but he’s doing a disappearing act in the fourth quarter. Him and Jaylen did absolutely nothing in the final 6 minutes.

[RRR3]

I told y'all he wasn't no Kobe or no damn superstar. I'd take current Bran over Tatum. Bran shot better from 3 on similar volume and is better at finishing through contact but people wanted to put Tatum on that level. Lmao.
I never said he was better than Kobe anyone who said that is on meth.

[RRR3]

I would say all time bad, but he’s doing a disappearing act in the fourth quarter. Him and Jaylen did absolutely nothing in the final 6 minutes.
34% is all time bad especially considering he has a great supporting cast.

[RRR3]

I wouldn't say all time bad, but he’s doing a disappearing act in the fourth quarter. Him and Jaylen did absolutely nothing in the final 6 minutes.
Jaylen has been far better though and he’s the second option. I’ll give him a pass.

[Cleverness]

Gotta give the super athlete Andrew Wiggins some credit for being an excellent defender vs Tatum. Unless the refs are gonna call touch fouls on Wiggins, this will continue. When Tatum goes left, he can't finish, so he does a low % fadeaway jumper or goes body hunting for a call... when he goes right, Wiggins has the athleticism to stay with him and then challenge him vertically.

[dbugz]

Will give you 20+ ppg but feels like both him and Jaylen doesn't have that "I need to dominate" mentality yet.

Many times he have mismatches but instead of taking advantage, he will just pass the ball or will just shoot the ball quickly as if he's running out of time always.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Shooting badly but still contributing in a number of ways. Still a superstar, first team All-NBA and all that. Series is far from over.
....are we sure he's better than Ingram?
Yes, and easily. Possibly better in every way.

[Manny98]

Almost as bad as 201...

Nah I won't go there today :lol

[Kblaze8855]

Shooting badly but still contributing in a number of ways. Still a superstar, first team All-NBA and all that. Series is far from over.
Yes, and easily. Possibly better in every way.

Its such a weird take to be married to isn’t it? Tatum is gonna be considered a superstar for a long time no matter what some weirdo with a vendetta has to say on the internet. It’s not even really up for debate. It’s how it is barring injury or something hard to predict happening to him.

He’s left some layup short for whatever reason. Tired maybe. Or just off. He was literally one missed layup from shooting 48% two straight games and people acting like it’s the end times.

I’ve been watching the finals with friends and I’ve not heard anything about Tatum other than us all noticing those floaty driving layups seeming to miss even when he’s making stupid threes.

The internet is just weird and short series often skew numbers with one great or bad shooting game. Who knows. He could have 38 next game or 16 with 9 assisted threes and set his team up to close out the finals at home….or shoot 2-14 and get blown out. All that matter is the W or the L.

And W or L he’s an established superstar who had more playoff success than most of the hall of fame…even before this finals run. He’s 24 and he’s won 3 more playoff series already than George Gervin and Nique…combined…in 25 nba seasons.

Hes fine. He’s absolutely going to the hall of fame barring injury. He’s already more of a winner than most ever were. And his team is tied in the finals…and he shouldn’t even be in his prime yet.

But not a superstar over field goal percentages that get cratered or saved by seconds. He could have made 3 more shots last night, not blocked the shots he blocked, and had the same net result in the scoreboard….is that playing better or just redistribution?

[Jasper]

Credit to Curry for carrying his Warriors and credit to the rest of the Celtics for competing hard but my god this is just pathetic by Tatum. He can’t even shoot 35% on a team with multiple weapons? Not to mention the constant inexplicable turnovers because he can’t pass. Never call him a superstar again.

boston wins series he will be MVP cause he is the face of Boston ..... you think they would give it to smart or horford :facepalm

[IllegalD]

boston wins series he will be MVP cause he is the face of Boston ..... you think they would give it to smart or horford :facepalm

Did you forget about a guy named Jaylen Brown, numbnuts? No player shooting 34% will or should EVER win Finals MVP.

[DMAVS41]

Its such a weird take to be married to isn’t it? Tatum is gonna be considered a superstar for a long time no matter what some weirdo with a vendetta has to say on the internet. It’s not even really up for debate. It’s how it is barring injury or something hard to predict happening to him.

He’s left some layup short for whatever reason. Tired maybe. Or just off. He was literally one missed layup from shooting 48% two straight games and people acting like it’s the end times.

I’ve been watching the finals with friends and I’ve not heard anything about Tatum other than us all noticing those floaty driving layups seeming to miss even when he’s making stupid threes.

The internet is just weird and short series often skew numbers with one great or bad shooting game. Who knows. He could have 38 next game or 16 with 9 assisted threes and set his team up to close out the finals at home….or shoot 2-14 and get blown out. All that matter is the W or the L.

And W or L he’s an established superstar who had more playoff success than most of the hall of fame…even before this finals run. He’s 24 and he’s won 3 more playoff series already than George Gervin and Nique…combined…in 25 nba seasons.

Hes fine. He’s absolutely going to the hall of fame barring injury. He’s already more of a winner than most ever were. And his team is tied in the finals…and he shouldn’t even be in his prime yet.

But not a superstar over field goal percentages that get cratered or saved by seconds. He could have made 3 more shots last night, not blocked the shots he blocked, and had the same net result in the scoreboard….is that playing better or just redistribution?

Definitely agree with this take and it is absurd to say he's having an all-time bad Finals while facing a lot of defensive attention and creating a lot of great shots for his teammates.

He's giving them 22/7/8...

His turnovers are a bit of a problem and his finishing has been poor for his standards, but 4 games is still a small sample and this series is not over yet.

The only thing I'd say about efficiency...and I completely agree with the small sample size you noted above....is that the margins are often really slim in terms of winning / losing a competitive series like this...and shooting sub 48% TS from the guy taking the most shots on your team...is going to be really hard to win with.

Doesn't mean it can't happen of course, but with such slim margins...a few made or missed shots actually could be the difference in this series.

[RRR3]

Definitely agree with this take and it is absurd to say he's having an all-time bad Finals while facing a lot of defensive attention and creating a lot of great shots for his teammates.

He's giving them 22/7/8...

His turnovers are a bit of a problem and his finishing has been poor for his standards, but 4 games is still a small sample and this series is not over yet.

The only thing I'd say about efficiency...and I completely agree with the small sample size you noted above....is that the margins are often really slim in terms of winning / losing a competitive series like this...and shooting sub 48% TS from the guy taking the most shots on your team...is going to be really hard to win with.

Doesn't mean it can't happen of course, but with such slim margins...a few made or missed shots actually could be the difference in this series.
He’s having an all time bad finals if he’s a superstar. You would be killing CP3 for a similar performance.

[1987_Lakers]

He for sure has been underperforming, but I never considered him to be a superstar (yet) to begin with so it's not like his performance in these finals is surprising to me. People saw how he performed vs the Nets and the expectations have been high on him ever since.

[DMAVS41]

He’s having an all time bad finals if he’s a superstar. You would be killing CP3 for a similar performance.

The standard definitely matters....absolutely true.

The CP3 standard from his fans...is that he's a top 20 or 25 player ever...

So on that standard...he's been bad so far...but I don't think Tatum should be held to that standard at this stage of his career nor has he done anything to make even his biggest fans argue he's on that level.

Again though...only 4 games have been played...a couple good performances and everything changes quickly...and I still think the Cetics win this series...so we'll see how it goes.

Regardless....he's going to be rightly called a "superstar" for the rest of his prime unless something crazy happens.

[1987_Lakers]

The standard definitely matters....absolutely true.

The CP3 standard from his fans...is that he's a top 20 or 25 player ever...

So on that standard...he's been bad so far...but I don't think Tatum should be held to that standard at this stage of his career nor has he done anything to make even his biggest fans argue he's on that level.

Again though...only 4 games have been played...a couple good performances and everything changes quickly.

Isn't CP3 like 37? That didn't stop him from getting roasted after the Mavs series.

Tatum is better than current CP3, but the issue is fans dislike CP3 more because of his flopping and personality. It's unfair, but fans just roast a player if they perform bad and if they don't personally like them.

[tpols]

In both games the Celtics won he was averaging like 10+ dimes. He's literally the reason the series is tied despite shooting poorly. Warriors throw the sink at him and he found the open man.

What are Tatums overall playoff averages? Superstar numbers. Going through Giannis, Durant, Kyrie, Butler, and Curry. An absolute gauntlet.

OP is just pissed the warriors won. He's beyond desperate for them to lose.

[tpols]

Fun fact.

Tatum is leading the entire NBA in points AND assists in the 2022 playoffs.

That actually shocked me.

[DMAVS41]

Isn't CP3 like 37? That didn't stop him from getting roasted after the Mavs series.

Tatum is better than current CP3, but the issue is fans dislike CP3 more because of his flopping and personality. It's unfair, but fans just roast a player if they perform bad and if they don't personally like them.

But CP3 was much worse and was a big favorite going in...and 37 or not...all his fans were arguing he was still a superstar and a top 10 player in the game...and all the all-time shit...hell, just go listen to Ryen Rusillo about Paul.

The last 5 games against Dallas...what he got "roasted" for...he put up 9/3/6 with a gamescore of 7...and rolled over in a home game 7.

He also has a history of melting down and going ghost in the playoffs.

Totally different from what we've seen from Tatum so far.

[1987_Lakers]

Fun fact.

Tatum is leading the entire NBA in points AND assists in the 2022 playoffs.

That actually shocked me.

Boston has also played more games than any other team in these playoffs.

Shouldn't be shocking.

[1987_Lakers]

But CP3 was much worse and was a big favorite going in...and 37 or not...all his fans were arguing he was still a superstar and a top 10 player in the game...and all the all-time shit...hell, just go listen to Ryen Rusillo about Paul.

The last 5 games against Dallas...what he got "roasted" for...he put up 9/3/6 with a gamescore of 7...and rolled over in a home game 7.

He also has a history of melting down and going ghost in the playoffs.

Totally different from what we've seen from Tatum so far.

I didn't see anyone call him a top 10 player this season. LOL

[DMAVS41]

I didn't see anyone call him a top 10 player this season. LOL

People were definitely arguing about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqAC05zrpJU

Regardless, it is a bad comp because what Paul did the last 5 games of that series were not comparable at all to how Tatum is currently playing...and you guys are nuts if you think Tatum has been that bad.

[1987_Lakers]

People were definitely arguing about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqAC05zrpJU

Regardless, it is a bad comp because what Paul did the last 5 games of that series were not comparable at all to how Tatum is currently playing...and you guys are nuts if you think Tatum has been that bad.

You shouldn't take the opinion of one person and make it sound like that is the consensus thought among fans. CP3 was in no way playing at a top 10 level this year, he wasn't even the best player on his team, notice how Booker got a total pass while also playing bad in the Finals last year as well.

The first youtube comment says it all.

"Listening Russillo talking aboutChris Paul is just like Bill Simmons talking about his beloved Celtics"

He's obviously a stan.

[DMAVS41]

You shouldn't take the opinion of one person and make it sound like that is the consensus thought among fans.

The first youtube comment says it all.

"Listening Russillo talking aboutChris Paul is just like Bill Simmons talking about his beloved Celtics"

Sorry...his fans on here have said things like "he has no weaknesses"...and is a "near perfect player"...etc.

CP3 and his fans deserve what they get...they've over-rated him for years, always made excuses, and his annoying flopping and jabroni bs has earned that criticism.

Again though...regardless of all that...Tatum has been way better than what Paul got hammered for...so it doesn't even make sense to compare them.

[RRR3]

Dmavs talking about CP3 is like 3ball about LeBron. No one cares what you think when you’re a biased hater, bro. Tatum is shooting 34% and you can’t even say he’s been terrible :lol. Meanwhile you have blamed CP3 for series he’s played well in :yaohappy:

[DMAVS41]

Dmavs talking about CP3 is like 3ball about LeBron. No one cares what you think when you’re a biased hater, bro. Tatum is shooting 34% and you can’t even say he’s been terrible :lol. Meanwhile you have blamed CP3 for series he’s played well in :yaohappy:

Depends on the standard...like I said.

You made the claim..."don't ever call him a superstar again"...you don't even believe that...and you are accusing me of being too biased????

Tatum is putting up 26/7/6 57% TS and had a legendary road game 6 against the Bucks in which he did 46/9/4 and went toe to toe with Giannis.

But, great balanced take saying that he can't be a superstar because he's struggled shooting / finishing for 4 games...while doing other solid things as well.

Good points...

And I never said CP3 wasn't a superstar or an all-time great...yet I'm a "hater" because I rightly said he hadn't done enough to be a top 20 player. Do you really not see the difference?

Me: Paul is great, but he's over-rated...he's probably top 30...not top 20

You: After his first 4 games in the finals...Tatum can never be considered a superstar

Me: That seems like a bad take

You: You are too biased...nobody cares what you think


One is a reasonable position...one is not. Sorry.

[RRR3]

If you think top 20-25 is an unreasonable standard for CP3 I certainly hope you don’t have Karl Malone or David Robinson in your top 20-25 because both of them were much worse playoff performers than CP3. But I assume you’re a hypocrite and don’t care about what they did.

[tpols]

Boston has also played more games than any other team in these playoffs.

Shouldn't be shocking.

Has there ever been a player who led the playoffs in points and assists that wasn't considered a bona fide super Star?

If so I'd like a name.

[FultzNationRISE]

Will give you 20+ ppg but feels like both him and Jaylen doesn't have that "I need to dominate" mentality yet.

Many times he have mismatches but instead of taking advantage, he will just pass the ball or will just shoot the ball quickly as if he's running out of time always.

I think Brown has it, hes just not able to consistently do it. You actually have to give both guys credit IMO for not forcing it too much at the expense of their team. This isnt a personal showcase it’s the Finals. Theyre in a 2-2 series right now against a Warriors team that’s fairly heavily favored on paper. They got to this point as a team, theres no reason for either guy to chuck overzealously now. Just stick to the script and live with the results.

I told people earlier in the playoffs Tatum wasnt “that guy” and Ill give him credit now for not trying too hard to prove he is. Ofc he needs to play better for the team’s sake, but that means increasing efficiency not volume.

[jayfan]

Isn't CP3 like 37? That didn't stop him from getting roasted after the Mavs series.

Tatum is better than current CP3, but the issue is fans dislike CP3 more because of his flopping and personality. It's unfair, but fans just roast a player if they perform bad and if they don't personally like them.

37, and still hasn't won jack.

[DMAVS41]

If you think top 20-25 is an unreasonable standard for CP3 I certainly hope you don’t have Karl Malone or David Robinson in your top 20-25 because both of them were much worse playoff performers than CP3. But I assume you’re a hypocrite and don’t care about what they did.

I wouldn't say it is unreasonable...I'd say I strongly disagree.

Regardless...one take is reasonable and one isn't...and we all know your take is the unreasonable one. So either admit you were wrong and take the L or keep trying to shift the focus of this debate to something that has nothing to do with what you said.

In case you forgot...


Never call him a superstar again.

[ZionDunks]

What a bummer as a Tatum fan.

The numbers don’t look all that bad but he had the opportunity to change his legacy. Sucks

[RRR3]

I wouldn't say it is unreasonable...I'd say I strongly disagree.

Regardless...one take is reasonable and one isn't...and we all know your take is the unreasonable one. So either admit you were wrong and take the L or keep trying to shift the focus of this debate to something that has nothing to do with what you said.

In case you forgot...
I was exaggerating to make a point but he certainly isn’t a superstar yet. Why do you hold CP3 to a much higher standard than Karl Malone? :confusedshrug:

[DMAVS41]

I was exaggerating to make a point but he certainly isn’t a superstar yet. Why do you hold CP3 to a much higher standard than Karl Malone? :confusedshrug:

Cool.

I don't think I do to be honest...I think Malone was a better player...honestly not complicated for me. I could be wrong, as I've always said...but I don't see as high of an impact from Paul as a lot of people do...granted, I know I've been in the somewhat minority on this for years now, but I think the results have been more on my side of the argument.

I'm done talking about Paul though...doesn't feel the same after yet another meltdown and him getting clowned by Pat Bev on national TV for 2 days straight...almost makes me want to pull for him next year.

[RRR3]

Cool.

I don't think I do to be honest...I think Malone was a better player...honestly not complicated for me. I could be wrong, as I've always said...but I don't see as high of an impact from Paul as a lot of people do...granted, I know I've been in the somewhat minority on this for years now, but I think the results have been more on my side of the argument.

I'm done talking about Paul though...doesn't feel the same after yet another meltdown and him getting clowned by Pat Bev on national TV for 2 days straight...almost makes me want to pull for him next year.
You should probably look up Malone’s playoff stats, they’re horrible.

[8Ball]

He needs more muscle.

[DMAVS41]

You should probably look up Malone’s playoff stats, they’re horrible.

I wouldn't say horrible...again, we just have different ways of talking or having different contexts we are using such words. Pretty sure Malone did something like 25/12/3 for his prime in the playoffs and had some of the best longevity ever. You call that "horrible"...fine, but we are speaking a different language at that point.

But I agree that his playoff play was not of the same caliber of dominance he had in the regular season for the most part.

[RRR3]

I wouldn't say horrible...again, we just have different ways of talking or having different contexts we are using such words. Pretty sure Malone did something like 25/12/3 for his prime in the playoffs and had some of the best longevity ever. You call that "horrible"...fine, but we are speaking a different language at that point.

But I agree that his playoff play was not of the same caliber of dominance he had in the regular season for the most part.
Efficiency is irrelevant huh? His efficient was dogshit compared to his regular season standards. CP3 stats generally improve in the playoffs. Not seeing the case for Malone not being a worse playoff performer.

[tpols]

Efficiency is irrelevant huh? His efficient was dogshit compared to his regular season standards. CP3 stats generally improve in the playoffs. Not seeing the case for Malone not being a worse playoff performer.

CP3 is a ***** though. That's probably why you relate to him. Karl Malone led Finals teams and was a shot or two away from,beating the Bulls dynasty while Chris Paul gets blown out by 50 points on his home court in game 7 as a favorite.

[DMAVS41]

Efficiency is irrelevant huh? His efficient was dogshit compared to his regular season standards. CP3 stats generally improve in the playoffs. Not seeing the case for Malone not being a worse playoff performer.

When did I say it was not relevant? I'd have to look it up, but I think Malone was probably at 53% or 54% TS in the playoffs...and of course that matters.

Just to be clear....as you say Malone had horrible stats in the playoffs. Is 25/11/3 53% TS "horrible" in your opinion?

[Kblaze8855]

I was exaggerating to make a point but he certainly isn’t a superstar yet.


Only if “superstar” isn’t a basketball question. He’s a superstar by the standards that have generally been used through all history. Guys on the top 50 all time were less accomplished and in some cases worse basketball players.

[RRR3]

When did I say it was not relevant? I'd have to look it up, but I think Malone was probably at 53% or 54% TS in the playoffs...and of course that matters.

Just to be clear....as you say Malone had horrible stats in the playoffs. Is 25/11/3 53% TS "horrible" in your opinion?
Horrible for the standards he set in the regular season absolutely. Obviously good for a normal player.

[DMAVS41]

Horrible for the standards he set in the regular season absolutely. Obviously good for a normal player.

Ok...so not actually horrible. I agree.

[ZionDunks]

CP3 is a ***** though. That's probably why you relate to him. Karl Malone led Finals teams and was a shot or two away from,beating the Bulls dynasty while Chris Paul gets blown out by 50 points on his home court in game 7 as a favorite.
Paul is a ***** haha.

Only playing ball to further his game intellectual business deals on the side

[RRR3]

CP3 is a ***** though. That's probably why you relate to him. Karl Malone led Finals teams and was a shot or two away from,beating the Bulls dynasty while Chris Paul gets blown out by 50 points on his home court in game 7 as a favorite.
Karl Malone is a pedophile. Probably why you relate to him.