Jayson Tatum is coming off an impressive rookie season and the expectations are sky high for the Boston Celtics swingman. But on Saturday night, Sam Dekker of the Cleveland Cavaliers embarrassed Tatum by breaking his ankles on the perimeter. The Cavs forward completed the play with a finish at the rim, but his crossover of Tatum was the most eye-popping part of this play.
Tatum leaves his laundry on the deck and nearly does a full split after Dekker catches him with the left-to-right crossover. It happens to everyone at one point or another, but it doesn’t make it feel any better for Tatum.
On the bright side, since this happened in a preseason game, it won’t find its way onto any highlight montages at the end of the season. Like much of the preseason, this play will be forgotten soon.
But Tatum and the Celtics are still trying to find their groove before the season starts. In 26 minutes, Tatum scored eight points on 3-for-9 shooting. He’s looking to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump that seems to curse so many promising young players. But Tatum’s status with Boston is secure.
Dekker, on the other hand, is looking to revitalize his career with the Cavaliers after joining his third team in four seasons. He’ll have an opportunity to prove himself with Cleveland. After LeBron James departed for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavs were faced with a gaping hole at small forward.
