Captain_Caveman wrote:The Comedian wrote:Captain_Caveman wrote:
That's exactly the point. Teams are throwing their entire defense at him. They aren't just making him pass out of the double, they are sitting on that pass. For him to be able to put it on the ground, split the double, read the defense, and make the right pass without turning it over? That's the kind of thing he needs to be able to do if we are going to talk about him as a top 10 player.
And it isn't just the assists or lack of turnovers. He was the catalyst for actual ball movement. Because when he makes that right pass, not only does it create scoring opportunities for his teammates, it puts us a step ahead of the defense, forcing them to rotate and recover -- two or three times on a good possession. When that ball is moving, it is going to find the shooters and the cutters and the easy baskets and get everyone into the flow.
I love his hot shooting games, but what we just saw was Tatum at his best.
He looked like a Tatum/Hayward hybrid today. That’s a scary, scary player.
Hayward is a great comp here. He is never rattled. Just plays calm. At a slower pace, but also with no hesitation. Does that make sense? Just makes the right read every time and then acts, like a computer or something.
Duncan had that same thing.
It’s all I could think about when watching it. He took his time reading the defense, only overdribbled on two or three of the possessions, and attacked with confidence at the right times, as you said.
Something Hayward was elite at was playing with pace, as Scal loved pointing out. Tonight, Tatum played with the best pace I’ve ever seen him play with. The level of attention he gets from other defenses is pretty crazy, but it will just keep making him a better player.
I’d be genuinely surprised if he doesn’t make 2nd team all nba this year. But that’s just a fun prediction.