Jayson Tatum missed a layup during the third quarter of the Celtics' lackluster loss to the Wizards Wednesday at the Garden. Then he spent the next several seconds complaining to an official about the incidental contact he felt on the way up.
Technical foul.
Tatum has a longstanding penchant for harassing officials, but this season it's getting out of hand. The young superstar is seemingly trying to blame the referees for his misses in the paint. If Tatum wants the foul, he needs to draw more contact.
He says he's mystified at the lack of calls in his favor.
"I feel like I'm drawing contact, I'm getting to the paint," Tatum told reporters afterwards. "But I don't know, it's tough because you feel like you have the ball a lot, you're drawing a lot of attention and going to the cup. It's frustrating at times. And getting a tech isn't always the best way, but sometimes the emotion gets the best of you."
The emotion also got the best of Tatum Friday night, when he slammed the ball in frustration after being called for an illegal screen. That's an automatic technical.
Ime Udoka benched Tatum towards the end of that third quarter. Frustratingly, Tatum didn't seem to remember the lesson Wednesday.
Whenever Tatum's game spirals out of control, he turns his attention to the officials. He's gone a combined 12-for-36 in the two games he's drawn technicals, and the Celtics lost both contests. Tatum was 1-for-8 from three Wednesday.
It's concerning that Udoka's message doesn't seem to be registering with players. After the game, he said he told his they were lacking intensity and focuses, and were going to get their asses kicked if they didn't shape up. That's exactly what happened.
Udoka also called Jaylen Brown's inconsistencies "mind-blogging."
Though the season is just five games old, the Celtics are at an apparent inflection point. Tatum berating referees is an appropriate symbol for their faulty beginning.
