The biggest criticism of Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum has been his lack of a killer instinct and dawg mentality. I have been critical of Tatum in that regard, but I have grown to accept that it's who he is, which is fine. Tatum does not have to be like Kevin Garnett or Kobe Bryant, he can simply be an all-time great without the outwardly swagger and alpha mentality.
When I give that description, San Antonio Spurs fans will know who I’m referring to as it's Tim Duncan.
Many of the qualities Tatum possesses as well as his demeanor resemble the Hall of Famer.
Jayson Tatum really is the new Tim Duncan. Gonna be severely underrated when all is said and done. And y’all are not gonna like the company he will be with, it will make some NBA fans very upset 😂 https://t.co/8wKQlRWdyc
— Taco Jay’s Tacos ☘️ (@KryntNBA) May 25, 2024
Tatum is off to a good postseason as he has led the Celtics in all statistical categories and he has helped spark an 11-2 record after Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. More importantly, Tatum has been one of the most consistent playoff performers of all the top five players in the NBA. The only issue is that Tatum hasn’t received the necessary credit for his play.
Jayson Tatum is currently at 2,538 playoff points.
— HOOPS EMPIRE (@HoopsEmpire_) May 25, 2024
That is 3rd all-time among players 26 and under.
He needs 41 points to pass Lebron for 2nd place, and 157 points to pass 1st place Kobe.
Let’s say Boston plays 8 more games (2 ECF + 6 finals), Tatum only needs to average… pic.twitter.com/6rRdaFQ2cq
Similar to Duncan, who lacked a big personality, Tatum continues to be disrespected by the media when compared to other players. During Duncan’s playing days, he was often compared to Garnett who was a polar opposite. Some people preferred Garnett over Duncan because he outwardly showed his dawg mentality and was a loud personality. Despite this, Duncan went on to have a better career and win more championships.
I bring this up because the same thing is happening currently with Tatum. This postseason Anthony Edwards and Luka Dončić are being given more respect than Tatum because they are showing their killer instinct more. For those people, it doesn’t matter that Tatum has had more postseason success because they just care about their aura and how they carry themselves.
"We can't put him in the category of LeBron James. I don't even think he has the 'it-factor' that Luka Doncic has."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 21, 2024
—@alanhahn on Jayson Tatum pic.twitter.com/FRr3X5D5eb
Jayson Tatum, like Tim Duncan, can win titles without 'killer instinct'
Although I do think having a true killer instinct matters, I think some players can still win and be great in spite of it. Tatum could just be on a path similar to Duncan where he will never show a killer instinct but he will still win championships as an all-time great player. I don’t know if Tatum will reach Duncan’s level fully because I think he’s one of the ten best players ever, but Tatum surely will be involved in the discussions of great players.
As long as Tatum continues to embrace who he is as a player, he should be on track to go down in history as an unsung great.