3 Studs, 3 duds from Celtics blowout preseason win over Nuggets

Dud - Jayson Tatum driving

This is a bit of an awkward pick. As noted, the Celtics were so good in this game that there weren’t many players who could have been chosen as duds. Jayson Tatum was good in this game. But his driving left something to be desired.

Tatum’s new three-point shot looks very promising. He drained three of his seven three-point attempts. But he also shot 3-of-7 from inside the arc. That’s far less ideal.

At various points throughout the game, Tatum just looked a bit rushed. His looks inside the three-point line were a tad off, which is a bit unusual for the forward. He was great frmo that spot throughout the postseason last year.

Tatum still finished the game with 17 points, two rebounds, and four assists. He was awesome. That’s a fine statline, considering he only played 23:01. However, if we’re being nitpicky, the interior work could have been better.

If there were any other notable bad performances, Tatum wouldn’t be on this list. He played well against the Nuggets. But being the star means criticism gets harsher.

His new shot looks great, but that doesn’t mean Tatum should stop bullying players while getting to the rim. That needs to remain a constant.