Josh Hart has been caught in the middle of Jayson Tatum / Derrick White mess after his comments about the two NBA Finalists.
Hart was discussing Tatum and White on the Pivot Podcast and said, “I might put, just like, impactful, I might put Derrick White (as) more impactful that (Tatum). Look at every main play in the last six minutes of the fourth to overtime. Every big play he made. He’s probably one of the most impactful players because he does just everything on the court, and does everything at a very high level.”
Hart’s comments were then talked about on ESPN‘s Get Up, with Host Mike Greenberg saying that it, “feels as though there’s a desire to diminish Jayson Tatum.”
The Knicks guard wasn’t too happy with Greenberg’s assessment of his comments and took time on X to respond.
“Yall realize saying something is more impactful isn’t belittling the other guy right?” Hart wrote on X. “Leave me out this ‘desire to belittle JT’ narrative.”
One thing Hart is right about is the belittling narrative surrounding Tatum right now.
NBA analyst Bill Simmons recently said on his podcast that the negativity surrounding Tatum is being felt by the brass at Boston.
“I know from a Celtics organization, all the way up standpoint, they’re really frustrated with the Tatum coverage,” he said on the The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“From the sense that he’s 26 years old, he’s scored more playoff points than any player in their first years ever, he’s made three first-team All-NBA [teams]. He made All-NBA this year.”
Criticism of Tatum is never far away, but it seems as though the Celtics guard will need to win a ring this series to truly silence the haters.
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