Jayson

Tatum

Holiday did not play in the United States’ final group round game, a blowout of Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon. However, the injury is not severe, as coach Steve Kerr said the Celtics guard would have played if it were a medal-round game. After starting the opener against Serbia, Holiday came off the bench for the South Sudan game in which he was injured (Jayson Tatum started). Tatum also started against Puerto Rico, but Brazil’s size and physicality could keep him with the first five, and Holiday would come off the bench.

This was expected, as the Celtics viewed inking Tatum and Derrick White to extensions as an offseason priority. White reportedly agreed to his deal on Monday morning, with Tatum following suit a few hours later. While he fell short of providing first-round fantasy value this season, that was a byproduct of the Celtics adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to the roster. With the latter due to miss 5-6 months after undergoing left leg surgery, Tatum’s chances of offering first-round value next season have increased. As for the contract, it’s the largest in NBA history and includes a player option (approx. $71.5 million in 2029-30) and a trade kicker.

The Celtics wrapped up their 18th NBA championship on Monday, with Tatum leading the way as a scorer and creator. He made some history, becoming the first Celtics player to account for at least 20 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds in an NBA Finals game since Larry Bird in 1986. The championship caps quite the journey for the Celtics star, who has been an elite fantasy option for most of his career. Tatum’s scoring average dropped by more than three points per game compared to his 2022-23 production, so he finished the regular season ranked 15th in 8- and 9-cat per-game value, according to Basketball Monster. That certainly isn’t “bad,” but most fantasy managers were hoping to get top 5 value out of the Celtics star. Tatum’s ceiling still makes him a player who should be selected in the first round of most drafts, but Boston’s depth slightly lowers his fantasy ceiling.

Even with Tatum recording a full stat line, there weren’t any positives to take from Friday’s blowout defeat. The Celtics struggled to keep Dallas out of the paint from the start of Game 4, and Joe Mazzulla decided to pull the plug with about four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Tatum and the Celtics will return home for Game 5, with a win netting the franchise its first NBA title since 2008.

The critics wanted more scoring from Tatum after his production was limited in the first two games of the NBA Finals, and that’s what they got in Game 3. He shot 6-of-14 from the field in the first half and was generally more aggressive offensively. The 31 points are the most Tatum had scored in a game since Boston’s Game 3 win over the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals when he dropped in 36. The Celtics are one win away from their first championship since 2008, and Wednesday’s performance may have put Tatum back in play for series MVP honors.

After shooting 6-of-16 from the field in Game 1, Tatum was even worse in Game 2. However, he contributed in other areas as the Celtics took a 2-0 series lead. Finishing one rebound shy of a triple-double, Tatum was responsible for 12 of Boston’s 29 assists on the night. And he made some history, becoming the third Celtics player to account for at least 18 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists in an NBA Finals game (Larry Bird in 1986 and Bob Cousy in 1959). While the Celtics will need their star forward to snap out of this slump, especially if Kristaps Porzingis has to miss time after appearing to aggravate his calf strain, Tatum is capable of impacting the game in other ways. He and the Celtics will look to strengthen their grip on the series in Game 3 on Wednesday.

Making his second NBA Finals appearance, Tatum struggled with inefficiency on Thursday. In addition to shooting below 50% from the field, he was responsible for six of Boston’s 12 turnovers. Tatum averaged 3.3 turnovers per game in Boston’s four-game sweep of the Pacers, and the average has increased by the round in these playoffs. His performance in Game 1 did not weigh down Boston, as Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis helped pick up the slack, but he will need to be better moving forward. Game 2 is on Sunday night.

For the third time in four games, the Celtics made more plays than the Pacers in crunch time. Tatum’s biggest play was a floater with 2:40 remaining that tied the game at 102. That would be the last scoring until Derrick White hit a three with 45 seconds remaining, and the Celtics would go on to close out the sweep. Tatum didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball on Monday and committed five turnovers, but he was productive in the rebound and assist categories. Boston will get some welcome time off, as the NBA Finals will not begin until June 6.

Tatum was outstanding in Game 3, as the Celtics rallied back from 18 down to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. He’s scored 36 points in two of the series’ first three games, but Saturday’s effort was the first this postseason in which Tatum also shot at least 50% from the field. Boston will look to close out the series on Monday night, and the Pacers could once again be without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring).

White came alive in the second half of this game and had 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting after halftime, which resulted in a full stat line for him. White was phenomenal against Miami, but he struggled for most of the Cleveland series and in Game 1 against the Pacers. However, if this second half performance can spark something for him, they shouldn’t have any issues advancing to the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum also joined White in scoring exactly 23 points, and they’ll look to keep the offense up in Game 3 in Indiana on Saturday.