Jayson Tatum leads NBA playoffs in elite defensive metric over Rudy Gobert
Jayson Tatum has emerged as the top defender in the NBA playoffs based on defensive field goal percentage, with opponents shooting just 35.7% against him. The metric, which includes players defending at least 50 shots, places him ahead of Rudy Gobert, who allows 35.8%. Tatum's strong two-way performance has bolstered the Boston Celtics' title hopes following his return from an Achilles injury. His defensive impact adds a new dimension to his reputation as one of the league's most complete players.
- ▪Jayson Tatum leads the 2026 NBA playoffs in defensive field goal percentage at 35.7%, the lowest mark among players who have defended at least 50 field goal attempts.
- ▪Rudy Gobert ranks second in the same metric, allowing opponents to shoot 35.8%.
- ▪Tatum is averaging 24.8 points and has recorded three double-doubles in four games against the Philadelphia 76ers.
- ▪The Celtics forward is receiving recognition for his two-way impact, particularly after returning from an Achilles tendon injury.
- ▪Tatum holds the record for most playoff points this decade and the most NBA wins by a player since his rookie season.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jayson-tatum-leads-nba-playoffs-144204924.html","headline":"Jayson Tatum leads NBA playoffs in elite defensive metric over Rudy Gobert","datePublished":"2026-04-28T14:42:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-28T14:42:04.000Z","keywords":["Jayson Tatum","Boston Celtics","Rudy Gobert","Achilles tendon injury","Nikola Jokic","Boston Globe","Getty Images","Philadelphia 76ers","Boston"],"description":"Jayson Tatum’s return has significantly boosted Boston Celtics’ title hopes, with the 28-year-old looking back to his best form after recovering from an...","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Yahoo Sports
