The Boston Celtics will face off against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight- a quick turnaround for Boston after they just finished a seven-game series in Round 2.
Through two series, Jayson Tatum has most often played like the best player on the court during the playoffs. We’ve seen him take down Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all in the same playoff run.
Jayson Tatum has led the Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals and Jimmy Butler is next on his list of superstars to take down.
In doing so, Tatum is averaging 28.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1 block per game so far in the playoffs. He’s led the Celtics to victories, dug them out of holes, and put them in a position to be the No. 2 seed in the East.
Tatum’s had an incredible year.
That said, Jimmy Butler has produced close to identical numbers to Tatum and even has higher marks than him in some aspects. Butler is averaging 28.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game this postseason.
And from the long-range? The numbers are almost identical again: Tatum:38.6, Butler:36.4
Butler has been a perennial superstar in the NBA for a while now. However, it’s Tatum’s time to shine now. He’s more mature and poised for the task at hand now compared to two years ago when he was in his third season.
Furthermore, Tatum and Butler rank in the top 5 in scoring this postseason. The battle of superstar power between these two is going to be prime-time must-watch sports entertainment.
Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the Tatum-Butler matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Photo Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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