BREAKING NEWS:”Stephen A. Smith Drops ‘Controversial’ Career Comparison Bombshell…Read more
“ESPN’s Stephen A. Rattles the Basketball Realm with ‘Controversial’ Career Comparison Bombshell”.
Two MVP finalists are facing off in the NBA Finals this year. As only one can claim the Finals MVP, debates about who is the better player have begun. Luka Doncic is being acknowledged for his outstanding postseason stats, but ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has argued that Jayson Tatum has had a more successful career so far.
Smith’s opinion is based on their playoff careers. On ESPN’s First Take, he noted that Doncic has been eliminated in the first round four times in his six-year career and missed the playoffs twice. In contrast, Tatum has had seven strong playoff seasons.
“I’m gonna go with Jayson Tatum, believe it or not. Luka’s been in the league for six years. He’s missed the playoffs twice and been bounced out in the first round twice. So, four of the six years, he either hasn’t gotten past the first round or hasn’t made it to the playoffs at all,” said Smith.
While acknowledging that Doncic’s stats this season surpass Tatum’s, Smith emphasized Tatum’s five conference finals appearances and two finals appearances. He concluded that the upcoming finals will provide a clear answer to the debate.
@stephenasmith says Jayson Tatum has had a better career than Luka Doncic heading into the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/adaR7jkOV5
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 4, 2024
Despite Tatum’s near-misses, he has yet to win a championship. If Doncic secures the title before Tatum, it would settle many debates. With Tatum having lost the conference MVP, all eyes are on his performance in the finals against the WCF MVP.
Stephen A. Smith insists that Tatum cannot afford a poor performance in the finals, regardless of the championship outcome. According to Smith, Tatum’s bad performance would be more damaging than losing the finals. On First Take, he explained that the embarrassment would stem from Tatum being the reason for the team’s loss, especially since the Mavericks have two dominant stars.
“He cannot play bad in this series… He doesn’t necessarily have to win the championship…What can’t happen with Jayson Tatum is that if Boston loses, and he’s the biggest reason why, that would be disastrous,” Smith said.
Smith referenced Tatum’s 2022 finals performance against the Warriors, where Jaylen Brown outperformed him. With Brown winning the ECF MVP, Tatum’s performance will be closely scrutinized throughout the series.
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