Jayson Tatum is going to continue scoring, and the Miami Heat can live with that.
If Bam Adebayo’s game-winning block shows us anything, it’s that defense is going to be what ultimately earns one of these teams the right to advance on to the NBA Finals.
But when it comes to Jayson Tatum, the Miami Heat defense is going to have to live with him getting his in any game this series. The 22-year old finished Tuesday night with 30 points along with 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks.
It’s quite possible that Tatum is already a superstar, and in that sense, the Heat defense needs to treat him as such: apply the appropriate amount of pressure that doesn’t leave him wide open, but also don’t overreact when gets going given his stature and level of talent.
Boston has too many other guys that can get hot and knock down shots at any given moment to overload your defensive approach around Tatum. Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart all made big shots to keep the Celtics in the game between the fourth quarter and overtime.
As head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff meet in the coming days and prepare for Game Two against Boston, accepting/planning around the inevitable 25+ points that Tatum will find in four quarters is the best path forward in terms of defensive strategy.