Though the Boston Celtics can boast about having the best team record this season, their performance against defending champions Denver Nuggets has been somewhat disappointing. As ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith points out in the latest segment of First Take, Celtics star Jayson Tatum‘s MVP case may also be in jeopardy due to his slump in performances against big teams such as the Nuggets.

 

Stephen A. Smith has been supporting the agenda for Tatum to win the MVP award this season and claims First Take to be one of the biggest lobbyists for the Celtics star’s case in the MVP conversation. However, with the Celtics going 0-2 against the Nuggets on the season (as per StatMuse), SAS expressed his disappointment, claiming the credibility of First Take has been hurt due to Tatum’s sluggish performances.

“I have to confess to you that I am very disappointed that you have diluted the impact of First Take. Because, the one person who has the shining light, wants Jason Tatum to be the league MVP, is me,” SAS grumbled as he analyzed the reasons behind Tatum’s sluggish performances against the Nuggets in their last two matchups this season. Though SAS believes that Tatum has enough games to make amends for his case, he needs to show up against championship-contending teams to rest his case for the Most Valuable Player award.

Reflecting on Tatum’s performances against the Nuggets, Stephen A. highlighted how the Boston star has averaged only 18.5 points on 38% shooting and 23% from the three-point range in the two losses against Denver. This is beyond lackluster when compared to Tatum’s averages this season of 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists from 47.5% shooting.

Jaylen Brown, on the other hand, has been quite impressive in leading the Celtics against the Nuggets, having scored 41 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists last night. Stephen A. calls it reminiscent of the 2022 NBA Finals, wherein Brown was the only player keeping the Celtics afloat in their title campaign against the Golden State Warriors. On that note, Smith was concerned about Tatum not being able to hold up against the teams from the West, and what it may mean for the Celtics’ title hopes during the Tatum era.

Smith concludes that the Celtics, being the best team in the NBA, should gather their strengths rather than go down 0-2 against the reigning NBA champions and other strong contenders from the Western Conference. That way, as per ESPN’s estimates, it hurts the potential of Tatum contending for the MVP title this season, wherein he has the 5th-best odds of winning (+1800).

It is hard to disagree with Stephen A. Smith’s verdict. After all, despite all his talent, the Celtics superstar always seems to shrink in the clutch. In fact, as per ESPN, among players who have taken at least 45 clutch-time shots this season, Tatum ranks dead last in the NBA having sank just 15 of his 46 attempts (32.6%).

With what this stat represents, can the Celtics ever win an NBA championship under the leadership of the current face of their franchise? Perhaps fans in Boston should be worried.

Jayson Tatum is among the top-five in the race for the MVP this season

The MVP race for this season is in close contention, with Nikola Jokic currently leading the pack by standing at the top among all choices as per NBA.com. He is closely followed by OKC Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, having the next two best odds to win this title. Following close behind them, Jayson Tatum has the fourth-best odds of winning the coveted MVP trophy, given his performances this season.

It’s important to note that the assessment for the MVP race should not be based on players’ performance against certain teams but on their averages throughout the season. Compared to last season’s MVP, Joel Embiid, Tatum has a much more viable record than Joel Embiid last season, who was constantly in and out of the lineup. That said, Tatum will have to bounce back quickly from his performance against the Nuggets if he wants to see his name climb the ladder while it still can.