For whatever reason, Jayson Tatum has a very hard time against the Denver Nuggets.
That was painfully clear on Thursday night, as he went just 5-of-13 from the field and scored only 15 points in a 115-109 loss to Nikola Jokic and his team.
On Friday’s “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith said that Tatum’s MVP case is now in “grave jeopardy” because of Thursday’s game.
He believes that Tatum could still be named the league’s most valuable player but his troubling record against Denver is really hurting his chances.
.@stephenasmith says Jayson Tatum's MVP case is in "grave jeopardy" after his performance against Denver ? pic.twitter.com/hq8DrbjI8B
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 8, 2024
Tatum played very messy basketball during the game against Denver, committing five turnovers and missing multiple crucial shots.
The Celtics are still the best team in the NBA and have the best odds of reaching the Finals.
But they can’t seem to score a win over the Nuggets and that is obviously a major problem because they could be their opponents in the championship series.
Over the last few years, Tatum has become the most important player for the Celtics.
He’s still having a great season with marks of 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
But his record against the Nuggets this year is concerning.
The Celtics have been beaten by Denver in both of their games in 2023-24.
It’s very likely that Tatum won’t win MVP this season, just like Smith and others are predicting.
But his team still has a shot at earning a title, but only if they can figure out how to defeat the Nuggets.
The Celtics could hypothetically beat the Nuggets without Tatum playing well but that would be very hard.
Instead, they need him to play like an MVP, even if he isn’t really one.
NEXT: Brian Windhorst Has Strong Message For Jayson Tatum
