Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum has averaged a team-high 23.2 points, 7.6 boards, and 7.0 assists through five NBA Finals games against the vaunted Golden State Warriors. And with 14 total games of 25-plus points scored in the postseason, he owns the third-most by a player, age 24 or younger, in a single postseason. But Tatum's offensive production in the championship series has been shrouded by his carelessness with the ball throughout the playoffs.
In the Celtics' 104-94 road loss to the Warriors in Game 5 on Monday night at Chase Center, Tatum committed four turnovers, and set a new NBA record for the most turnovers (95) in a single postseason. Overall, Boston committed 18 turnovers in the pivotal game, and according to ESPN Stats, the Warriors' 103 points off turnovers are the most by any team through the first five NBA Finals games since the 1992 Chicago Bulls. The Celtics are now in a 3-2 series hole, and Boston sports anchor Adam Kaufman believes that Tatum deserves flak.
"It's not singlehandedly on him and it's also not just the fourth quarter [woes]. He's played not nearly at the superstar level that people would like to put him at over the course of this series," Kaufman told The DA Show on Tuesday. "His shooting splits, really, really good in the first three rounds of the playoffs. And I know he went 10-for-20 last night. But, throughout this particular series, it's just weird... He's just playing a much more passive game.
"When he puts his head down and drives to the basket, he's foul-hunting. It's not like he's really trying to hit good shots... They're not good shots. He's just looking for contact... He's lights-out taking step-back jumpers and mid-range shots, and he's just gone away from there. It's either drive to get hit, or take a three... It's just not good enough. It's not nearly good enough... They needed the 'Jayson Tatum Game' last night.... Not enough."
Boston, which clinched the East's second seed with a 51-31 record, will host Golden State in Game 6 on Thursday at TD Garden, with tip-off scheduled for 9:00 ET. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Celtics currently have a 38-percent chance to win their first title since 2008, and if they do hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, it'd be their league-record 18th in team history. As for the Warriors, they're just one win away from capturing their fourth title since 2015.
The entire Finals conversation between Kaufman and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The DA Show on Twitter @DAonCBS and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.