Despite poor shooting, Jayson Tatum contributes in other ways vs. Magic

This is what star basketball players do. No NBA player hits a high percentage all the time. Larry Bird and Paul Pierce had their off-nights on shooting accuracy, but they compensated by contributing in other categories. That is what Jayson Tatum did last night in Boston's 93-90 loss against Orlando.


Jayson was on the floor for 34 minutes, but only scored seven points on 3-of-12 from the field and 0-for-5 on treys. But he again demonstrated his determination on the boards, grabbing 10 rebounds. One category where Tatum needs improvement is in his passing. But last night, he had four assists, a very good sign going forward.

Speaking of passing the ball, it was ironic in this morning's broadcast of NBA TV that analyst Kevin McHale, alias The Black Hole - a moniker coined by Danny Ainge, focused on a low-post move by Tatum that was reminiscent of Kevin's footwork that drove defenders crazy. The play can be found at the 0:18 mark in the video below. This kid can score in so many ways.



Jayson was not the only errant marksman last night. Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown shot a combined 4-of-18 from the field and 2-of-9 on 3-pointers. The Celtics overall shot a paltry 9-of-40 from beyond the arc. So The Celtics are again mired in an offensive mud pit and need to find a way out. I expect that their leader, Brad Stevens, is already on it.

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Video via Motion Station
Photo via amicohoops.com