What happened to Tatum in the Bucks game?

OldCeltics · Post #1 » by **OldCeltics** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 1:22 pm

#1 Celtics won last night, and referees took it away. F*** the refs.

#2 I love Tatum's game but... what happened last night? 1-17 not counting the Bucks scoring on themselves.

a. He seems a bit slow, he can't get free from his defender, and when he does he is off balance on his shots.
b. He doesn't drive any more to the rim as much as he did all year.
c. When he is driving to the rim, he has no strength to score on his defender.

Its not that he is out of shape, but he seems to have reverted to Black Mamba jump shooting mode, and forgot what got him to the 30 points/game monster he was. He needs to drive the lane, get easy buckets, and play the all-around game.

Its just 1 game, but i saw the same thing in the exhibitions. Almost like he didn't play or practice at all for 4 months, and now needs to ramp up all over again.

One thing is certain, he must play like a super star for us to have any chance to beat Milwauke. An last night effort just won't suffice.

Green89 · Post #2 » by **Green89** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 1:30 pm

It's looking to me like an effort and conditioning thing. You have to want to be a superstar and work at being a superstar. It's not going to just happen. He's looking like the start of his second year, when he thought just because of the previous year's playoff performance, he was just going to walk onto the court and be a stud. It doesn't work that way. I don't like how he said he hadn't touched a basketball in 30 days during the start of the break. Who knows how many more days he went like that over the past 4 months.

FlatearthZorro · Post #3 » by **FlatearthZorro** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 2:14 pm

He missed a bunch of wide open shots. That's what happened. He has 7 more games to get in the groove and practices, so I ain't worried.

ConstableGeneva · Post #4 » by **ConstableGeneva** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 3:01 pm

Playing possum.

themoneyteam2 · Post #5 » by **themoneyteam2** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 3:11 pm

I’m not worried about him missing jumpers but I am worried about his finishing. He regressed to his finishing in October/November where he’s just throwing up prayers at the rim and is out of control.

Last night he really needed a mid range pull up instead of trying to helplessly go right at Lopez who was just sitting there waiting for him

strokerace · Post #6 » by **strokerace** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 3:16 pm

FlatearthZorro wrote:He missed a bunch of wide open shots. That's what happened. He has 7 more games to get in the groove and practices, so I ain't worried.

It was more than missing shots. He was not any good on D either. We win this game easy if Tatum was not out there at all.I have no doubt that he gets his stuff together but it was an ugly performance by him all around.

FlatearthZorro · Post #7 » by **FlatearthZorro** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 3:19 pm

strokerace wrote:
FlatearthZorro wrote:He missed a bunch of wide open shots. That's what happened. He has 7 more games to get in the groove and practices, so I ain't worried.

It was more than missing shots. He was not any good on D either. We win this game easy if Tatum was not out there at all.I have no doubt that he gets his stuff together but it was an ugly performance by him all around.

He's rusty, bro. The monstars didn't take his powers.

He will be fine. I'm starting to believe he really did chill at least 2 of the 4 months of the NBA hiatus.

Post #8 » by **Bleeding Green** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 3:43 pm

He looked like this early in the season, maybe that's just how he goes. Hopefully he ramps up quicker this time around.

jfs1000d · Post #9 » by **jfs1000d** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 4:04 pm

He just was out of sync. Bucks did a nice job of shutting the rim off. And his jumpers and floaters were off. He got open. Just missed shots. It happens.

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Slax · Post #10 » by **Slax** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 4:19 pm

FlatearthZorro wrote:He missed a bunch of wide open shots. That's what happened. He has 7 more games to get in the groove and practices, so I ain't worried.

Yeah I think he's rusty. He took a bunch of shots, a lot of them wide open, and just kept missing. Can't say I'm not concerned, but really he just has to start hitting the shots he used to hit and his game would have been fine. Didn't look like bad conditioning or effort to me.

Green89 · Post #11 » by **Green89** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 4:54 pm

Is there any post game interview with him? Curious to see what his reaction was.

Triple7 · Post #12 » by **Triple7** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 5:12 pm

Green89 wrote:It's looking to me like an effort and conditioning thing. You have to want to be a superstar and work at being a superstar. It's not going to just happen. He's looking like the start of his second year, when he thought just because of the previous year's playoff performance, he was just going to walk onto the court and be a stud. It doesn't work that way. I don't like how he said he hadn't touched a basketball in 30 days during the start of the break. Who knows how many more days he went like that over the past 4 months.

I agree with this. He looked slow out there on both ends. What’s really bothering is all his peers came out focused and prepared for the restart. Let’s just hope it’s just a rhythm thing, and be back to wherre he left off before the playoffs start.

Post #13 » by **bisme37** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 5:30 pm

Was certainly a nightmare game from my beautiful bouncing baby boy JT.

I think he's prone to rare but occasional games where comes in super anxious/hyped up but then misses shots early on and gets in his head and loses focus. Also there's the clear rust element being that it was the first game in months. And the Bucks defended him well. He's still young and figuring things out. He'll learn and bounce back.

Taget · Post #14 » by **Taget** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 6:12 pm

The whole covid thing is going to throw a ton of people off. Not everyone has their own private professional facilities like Lebron is. (Spoiler alert: the reason we're not having the full 2020 season start next month and are instead of having this asterisk season is to get Lebron and the Lakers a ring).

This mini-season is going to be messy. Don't judge anyone overly harsh for being rusty and generally out of sorts. Particularly at the start.

jonige94 · Post #15 » by **jonige94** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 6:27 pm

A superstar should impact the game in other ways when the shot isnt falling, i just dont see it with Tatum.

BostonCouchGM · Post #16 » by **BostonCouchGM** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 6:42 pm

I think he lifted too many weights during the break. He needs to put on some more muscle if he wants to improve enough to become a top 10 player but it's something that needs to happen in the offseason because it takes some time to get used to the new strength and re-establish your form and stroke. That's why his shot is all over the place and he has no touch around the basket. He'll work through it over the next couple of weeks and will be fine. I hope. But it WILL take some time to get it back and for now, I see no cause for concern long term.

Curmudgeon · Post #17 » by **Curmudgeon** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 6:56 pm

He wasn't very good in the first scrimmage either. Looked rusty. It was not a good idea for him to sit out against Houston.
Also give the Bucks credit. They blitzed him with a second defender every time he touched the ball on the perimeter.

GoGreen · Post #18 » by **GoGreen** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 7:19 pm

Green89 wrote:It's looking to me like an effort and conditioning thing. You have to want to be a superstar and work at being a superstar. It's not going to just happen. He's looking like the start of his second year, when he thought just because of the previous year's playoff performance, he was just going to walk onto the court and be a stud. It doesn't work that way. I don't like how he said he hadn't touched a basketball in 30 days during the start of the break. Who knows how many more days he went like that over the past 4 months.

I remember this quote, too. Didn't like it then don't like it now. But that being said, he was our best player before quarantine, so I think he'll be alright.

themoneyteam2 · Post #19 » by **themoneyteam2** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 7:38 pm

Read on Twitter

SMTBSI · Post #20 » by **SMTBSI** » Sat Aug 1, 2020 7:39 pm

The issue I saw last night was 100% mental. Nothing he could have possibly done in four months would have made him physically lose the ability to play basketball.

So on the plus side it could vanish overnight after one good game. On the minus side, I don't love it when players are able to get in their own heads so easily.

I'm gonna resist the urge to psychoanalyze too much here; all I'll say is I do believe Tatum still has some maturing to do, before he can handle the stress of pacing a team night in, night out.

Which is fine - he's got the mentors around him to help him get there. I'm just not sure he'll be well served by branding him as the "face of the franchise" this early. Humility is key.