NBA Countdown | Jayson Tatum isn’t top of the list for NBA MVP – Stephen A. on Celtics vs. Suns game

NBA Countdown | Jayson Tatum isn’t top of the list for NBA MVP – Stephen A. on Celtics vs. Suns game

Studio and to NBA Countdown alongside the legend Stephen A Smith the Hall of Famer Michael wilbon the one and only Kendrick Perkins in for Bob Myers I’m Malik Andrews we have a matchup of NBA heavyweights tonight gentlemen with Jason Tatum and the Boston Celtics continuing their West Coast Road Trip

That’s been a little bit Rocky taking on Kevin Durant and the Suns the Celtics I think it’s fair to say Stephen A they have been the most dominant team in basketball this season really exemplified by their 11 game winning streak the longest streak for any team

This year so every thing it was clicking for the guys in green since then let’s not call it a skid but they’ve come back down to earth a little bit they’ve lost their last two games against Cleveland on Tuesday blowing a 22-point lead but let’s just chalk that up to Dean Wade

Just going nuts in that one and then on Thursday losing to the reigning Champion Denver Nuggets it’s not the losses though that are overly concerning at least in my opinion but it is worth taking a little bit of a closer look at Tatum’s numbers over the last week he

Missed a pair of go-ahead shots in each loss and clutch time it’s been an area that he’s really struggled in over the last three seasons so Stephen A I know you were championing Tatum as an MVP Contender have his struggles recently changed your thoughts at all it has to

It has um I love the guy he’s the best player on the best team I thought he was worthy of being at the top of the list for League MVP on consideration uh but when you go up against a reigning defending NBA champion on two occasions

You lose both games and then you don’t play your best basketball in those moments those there are moments that define what a league MVP is going to be and I’m just looking at some of these stats right here did y’all know that when it comes to clutch time shooting

The only person in the league worse than Jason Tatum is Klay Thompson Klay Thompson’s at 29.8% and I’m just looking at Jason Tatum at 31.9% in terms of his clutch shooting and I’m looking at 35% shooting from the field 19% from three-point range over the last three years in

Clutch time situations and I’m saying that’s not what MVPs are made of so he can make amends by about winning a championship winning an NBA Finals nvp etc etc but in terms of League MVP honors I think that Shay Gil just Alexander Anthony Edward and of course

Yi you have to be considered ahead of him right now well how about even just taking over the game late in the game he came out in his post game he was talking about he don’t want to be the one to hijack a car I don’t want to hear that

Energy right we’re not getting that from sgaa we don’t get that from Anthony ERS or Devin Booker those are the comp the players that Jason Tatum is in the company of and at some point Joe Missoula has to draw a line in the sand and pick a side when it comes to Jason

Tatum and Jaylen Brown Jaylen Brown they paid him 300 plus million do he’s no scrub when it comes to being able to to go score a basket on the elite level right now he’s shooting 50% in the clutch time on 32 shots at some point

You got to say you know what if Jason Tatum don’t don’t want it and he’s showing you time and time again of who he is how about going to your other player and jayen Brown is saying you know what I’m going to give you an opportunity I did think it was a little

Bit ironic that he said that because he does lead the team in clutch time usage he’s at 32% and the next closest player is porzingis at 22% so it’s it’s by a wide margin so it was a little interesting he chose to say that even though it’s the numbers don’t support

That yeah but you say that because you’re not getting it done it becomes cover I I want to go back to perk you you have played with so many great players how is is how often does it happen that somebody’s a late bloomer in that area I mean you usually see this it

Becomes evident fairly early doesn’t it perk by your second or third season Jason Tatum has been at this a while and we’re not seeing it so I don’t know that this is up to Joe I don’t I don’t think this is about coaxing it out of Tatum I

Think it’s about whether it’s in him or not well I’ll say this a couple of things before I give it the big perk number one 66.7% shooting from porzingis in clutch time this season so that’s somebody that you can rely upon in those they got two somebody Jaylen Brown somebody you can

Rely upon if you’re Missoula and the Boston Celtics don’t if you’re Jason Tatum you don’t want them to say okay come come clutch time we’ll go away from you and we’ll go to the other options that’s not a good look for him either we should mention no porzingis today out

With that uh hamstring tightness but but it it comes within you it’s nothing on Jula it’s do you have that dog in you right that mentality when you think about a young version of rayan Rondo like kg them didn’t have to pass the tour to him he wouldn’t took it in some

Some type of way when I went to Oklahoma City and was playing with a young Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and the James horten and I watched those guys take over in clutch moments when we went to the NBA finals multiple uh Western Conference Finals appearances it

Was just in them it was in them Scotty Brooks didn’t have to pull it out of him I didn’t have to put a key in their back they just had it running through they vein yeah but at the same breath we got to be we got to pay attention to this

Too as well it’s not about a lack of attempts it ain’t like he ain’t trying the point is you’re not getting it done and so now if you’re not getting it done that’s more of glaring to me than somebody who doesn’t if you don’t want it you ain’t attempting it okay you

Passing the ball to somebody else and we’ve seen that in history I won’t mention any names CU I’m in a good moood this Saturday night I don’t feel like getting anybody mad at me at this particular moment in time but there have been plenty of people in NBA history we

Saw give up the ball like it’s a game of high piece and butter I don’t want any parts of this that’s not what we see from Tatum we’re just seeing a lack of efficiency can I pose this to you though Stephen A if you look at the idea right

Of giving Jaylen Brown more opportunities it might seem like the alternative to clutch woes but maybe opponents would welcome that because look at this over the last three seasons when JB takes 25 or more shots the Celtics are just 8 and 11 and that includes his 41 that’s a very valid

Point Malik I can’t knock you for that but damn it we going to get over that you know why we going to get over that cuz I paid you $34 million so since I get as we welcome in our senior NBA Insider Adrian wowy WJ this Sun’s roster

With Kevin Durant with Bradley Beal with Deon B it is really built to win now but what could Phoenix be fac facing in their future that could impact their success here yeah Malik uh new Sons owner Matt ishia has operated you know with a relative disregard for the new uh salary

Cap realities of the NBA essentially in a championship or bust mentality over the next couple of years around Devin Booker Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal but but here’s where the roster complications uh can start for Phoenix and Grayson Allen has had a career year for the Suns he’s leading the league in

Three-point field goal percentage he’s averaged 27 points over the last two games with Devin Booker out uh he is later this month eligible uh to sign a new 4-year $75 million contract extension ahead of his free agency this summer uh that would cost the Suns another 65 to70 million in luxury tax

And along with Royce O’Neal who they picked up at the trade deadline from Brooklyn these are two players who the Suns cannot replace with anything but minimum players if they were to lose them in free agency it puts tremendous pressure on this organization to have to

Pay those players and keep them and it’s just an example of the complications ahead for an organization and a roster that right now is just a half game out of the play in right right now they sit in sixth place and as you and I both know I had a conversation with Matt

Ishia earlier this season and he said no we are built and we want to win Now That Remains the Phoenix Suns goal W thank you so much for stopping by NBA Countdown here so here’s the thing with the Suns though they have really struggled to find consistency this

Season they’re big three they’ve only played in 23 games together that includes the game that Bradley Beal just played five minutes in and that’s led to some serious fourth quarter issues here the Suns they are the worst team in the NBA in that final frame as W just mentioned they’re currently sixth but

Barely barely out of that playin spot so Stephen A how far can Kevin Durant take this Phoenix Suns team evidently not that far evidently um Let Me Tell America let me just throw some numbers by here you’re talking about the Phoenix Suns okay we’re talking about the fourth

Quarter second worst in the NBA fourth worst in three-point shooting percentage uh NBA worth 16.8 turnovers percentage in the fourth quarter they also the second worst rebounding team in the fourth quarter and oh by the way they win 63% of their gains when dein Booker

Is on the floor when he’s off the four they win 40% of their games I’m sorry last time I checked Kevin Durant religiously averages 28 a game he’s Mr reliable in terms of his level of production but it doesn’t equate to wins unless Devin Booker is on the court with

Him without him it doesn’t happen and so when you ask me a question about what Kevin Durant can do I tell you that he’s one of the most prolific scorers this game game has ever seen but whether or not that’s going to equate to actual wins when it comes to this Phoenix Suns

Team I would say the evidence is just not there well let’s let’s put those numbers in context a little bit Stephen you mentioned last we saw the graphic about last fourth quarter points per game the Bucks are first yes OKC is third the Clippers are sixth the suns

Are last if we go to fourth quarter point differential rank the differentials what you really care about right again the suns are last 30th and you know who’s Celtic Thunder third wolves fifth Cavs seventh bucks eighth the contenders are not just in the top half they’re in the top third

Of the league and the suns are not in the bottom third they’re last this is a flaw I told you last week this is not up to Frank vogle this is not even up to the guys on the roster this is not about Kevin Durant Devin Booker and Bradley

Beal this is about what they don’t have they don’t have the primary ingredient that’s going to change all of that a person a cler who you want to have the ball making the decisions not taking the shots making the decisions and organizing that team in the fourth

Quarter they don’t have that person on the roster there’s not going to be another byout round they don’t have it so now what what are they going to do to make up for that in the playoffs against those teams with those ranks we just mentioned the season is already we only

Got 20 games left and the Suns have the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA I don’t I don’t know what they can do Listen Hold on everybody keep a cool booty one second okay the the suns are actually trending in the right direction that signature win against Denver

Against Denver right in Denver excuse me and then follow up I understand they beat the Raptors but I’m starting to see the tides turn a little bit and when I say that nerkish is playing better he had 31 rebounds a couple nights ago a couple games ago Kevin Durant he was n

For 24 at one point doing at the course of that game against the Nuggets but he turned it on hit the the uh three to tie the game up but Grayson Allen is balling it seems like to me Frank voger has the attention of that locker room

Defensively and Frank voger is a hell of a coach all he needs was KD to buy in and the rest is go follow I’m watching that Kevin Durant right now I feel you on that you can watch all you want you can keep on watching because I expect

Kevin Durant to do what he always does my only point is it ain’t going to equate to much winning unless Devon book is on the court with even with de Booker those guys are great Stephen you’re right and they’re going to be great but is that we’re not talking about their

Greatness their greatness is not questioned the question is is what they have right now and by the way you’ve made a great point about keeping Grayson Allen they better keep Grayson all they better perk they I don’t I don’t see the person that you want making the decision

For those guys in the fourth quarter well they can prove that this was looking for his first win over Jason Tatum in the Boston Celtics since November 2021 so with that in mind who needs to make the bigger statement in tonight’s game Tatum or Kevin Durant the sons need to make the bigger

Statement the Suns in general they got and that means of course Durant right and Bradley be Malika you’re right the the Suns do and they we talked about their their end of season schedule they have to win these games even at home even against the number one seed in the league the

Suns Stephen it’s Tatum and the reason why them is because of what uh big perk alluded to earlier at some point in time all right we know how great y’all are as a team we know what the championship aspirations are we believe that Jaylen Brown is going to answer the call

Because we saw how he performed a couple of years ago in the NBA Finals we understand that as much as we love Marcus Smart it’s an upgrade with for zingis who’s 73 who can block shots and shoot the three the issue is Tatum because Tatum has to show that excuse me

I have arriv just like he said around Allstar break when he was talking to you he believes he’s the best in the world damn it show it show it it’s what you are you have the tools you’ve got the team you’ve got the coaching you’ve got the tradition you’ve got cats like him

Who won championships in Celtic green saying what’s up what you going to do answer the call that’s what moments like this should be about for Jason Tatum what was that what was that date again November 2021 including the playoffs that’s crazy at some point you got to

Stop the bleeding if you’re Kevin Durant and own the matchup on a personal level with far as going at Jason Tatum or Jaylen Brown Kevin Durant look he has an opportunity to change the narrative and change the mindset of guys like myself for us going out there and delivering on

And off the floor when it comes to his leadership and getting wins that signature win against Denver they they beat the Raptors they’re trending in the right direction you do not want to take three or four steps backwards the only way they get this win tonight if Kevin

Durant is the best version of himself here here I I I I’m I’m confused about this game and talking about we’re at that point Malik and you talked about this all week on your show about who’s more desperate who’s need a win more urgently I’m I’m a go with the Suns but

I’m I’m not with y’all I’m not with y’ I’m not firm on it I’m not letting Kevin Durant off I don’t care about damn regular I need him in the it’s time to get you to put Center gentlemen Mike Green please take it away we’ll see you at half Time aord just a person utmost power Everlasting dation choice enemy has defeated you have deated an enemy enemy eny an enemy has been defeated out to is a to en victory oh something Men break too easily not fun at all h an ally deated enemy an enemy has deated tower has destroyed you have defeated an enemy an enemy has defeated an ally has been defeated my blood shut down enemy our base is under attack cruy and despair en deated [Applause] ultimate

Unable an enemy has been defeated enemy our base is under attack SU

NBA Countdown | Jayson Tatum isn’t top of the list for NBA MVP – Stephen A. on Celtics vs. Suns game