Brian Windhorst teases Stephen A. Smith for championing Jayson Tatum as MVP. [Credit: First Take]
ESPNNBABy Sam Neumann on

In February, Stephen A. Smith championed Jayson Tatum as his top pick for MVP. With Joel Embiid sidelined with a meniscus injury, the First Take host made the argument that being the best player on the best team matters, even though, at the time, the Boston Celtics forward was tied for the 5th best odds to win MVP (+5000).

Weeks later, Smith faces playful jabs from ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst. Not only did Smith seemingly influence Tatum’s MVP odds, which have shifted from +5000 to +18000, according to ESPN BET, but a recent slump has practically sunk Tatum’s candidacy.

“Stephen A., I appreciate the position, the eloquence of which you talked about Jayson Tatum as an MVP candidate,” said Windhorst. “And I’m telling you, your voice does matter a lot because I have seen the MVP odds change in his direction after you started to make your case. But you’re going to have to take the (Denver Nuggets head coach) Michael Malone’s advice here and take the ‘L’ because Jayson Tatum’s MVP case is over. It is not happening.”

This from Windhorst comes amidst the Celtics’ recent woes, including a tough 115-109 loss to the Nuggets, seemingly casting a shadow over Tatum’s MVP candidacy. Tatum’s performance fell well short of expectations in this game. Not only did he miss a wide-open corner 3-pointer that could have given Boston the lead late in the fourth quarter, but he also finished with a meager 15 points and committed costly turnovers in transition during crunch time.

This lack of engagement raises questions about his ability to carry the team like an MVP candidate, especially considering Smith’s previous claim that Tatum was the “best player on the best team.”

“This has been a brutal, brutal three days for an MVP case for Jayson Tatum,” contiuned Windhorst. “And three days in March doesn’t make the season. But the finish to that game in Cleveland the other night, really that whole fourth quarter and the finish to that game, very hard. He comes into this game, which was as high as a level of a regular season game that you’re gonna find; both teams fully healthy; both teams rested. (Nikola) Jokić’s got the gas pedal all the way down. Everybody’s into this game. Jaylen Brown came out with fire in his eyes from the opening tip. You’ve got Michael Malone stomping up and down the sideline like it’s a Game 7.

“And you got Jayson Tatum having as many turnovers as baskets. No, you can’t be the MVP and perform that way in these games. And he’s had a number of disappointments in the clutch.

[Awful Announcing on Twitter/X]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann