To Be The Best, Jayson Tatum Is Having To Beat The Best
Being almost the best player in the NBA is a far cry from being the best. Just ask Jayson Tatum.
After toppling Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBAplayoffs, Tatum and his Boston Celtics currently trail 0-1 in a second-round series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. Though Tatum outplayed Durant in the first round, he couldn't outmaneuver Antetokounmpo, who showed why he's the reigning Finals MVP with a dominant performance in the first game of the Bucks-Celtics matchup.
Of course, games between NBA teams are not reducible to matchups between superstars, but Tatum's performances against Durant and Antetokounmpo in many ways represent the successes and struggles of his team. The climb up the rungs of the superstar ladder is fraught with increasing and diverse challenges, as Tatum and the Celtics know all too well.
The first-round series wasn't the first time Tatum faced Durant in the playoffs. In 2021, the Nets topped the Celtics in five games, but Boston's lone win came on May 28 when Tatum scored 50 points, still his playoff career high. But how he guarded Durant this time around -- and how he shot with Durant guarding him -- was arguably what tipped the scales between the two teams.
When they faced off, Tatum bested Durant this time
Shots per 100 possessions and the...