Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics extended their win streak to eight games following their February 13 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
After a slow start to the game, the Celtics came alive in the third quarter, thanks in large part to Jayson Tatum’s 16-point explosion, where he shot six-of-nine from the field and two-of-three from deep.
Yet, while Celtics fans everywhere were celebrating the All-Star wings performance, Tatum’s son Deuce was pictured in the crowd, paying no attention to his dad’s exploits.
When your dad is so casually awesome that you aren’t even impressed:
Following the game, Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell took to Twitter to send a playful jab towards Tatum, noting how Deuce paid no attention to his father’s high-scoring offensive clinic. And as you would expect, the tweet sent Celtics fans into a frenzy.
JT out here hoopin and Deuce couldn’t give a damn 😂😂😂 locked in to the video game 😂😂😂 @jaytatum0
Celtics Fans Go Into Recruitment Mode
When another team’s star player is interacting with your team’s superstar, it’s logical that fans begin to dream of a potential team-up down the line. And that’s exactly what happened in Mitchell’s replies, as countless Celtics fans took it upon themselves to begin a recruitment push.
@spidadmitchell @jaytatum0 Join him Donovan
“You and JT gonna ball together in Boston ☘️,” @CELTICSvsEvery1 wrote on Twitter.
“Ainge needs to do a McHale and trade Mitchell to Boston,” @RicSanturri replied.
@spidadmitchell @jaytatum0 Come to Boston….it’ll be the US Olympic team
“Future CELTIC Donovan Mitchell,” @pol2ky joked.
As you would expect, a lot of the replies featured requests for former Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge to facilitate trade, as Ainge is now in a prominent position within the Jazz organization.
Mitchell, Tatum, and Jaylen Brown are known to have a good friendship spanning back to the NBA bubble, where they were often pictured hanging out together or joking amongst themselves. However, with the Jazz aiming to challenge for an NBA Championship, it’s unlikely we see Mitchell donning Celtics green in the near future.
Tatum Continues His Hot Streak
When you think of a hot streak, your first thoughts go to a player’s scoring numbers and the efficiency of which they’re scoring those points. However, Tatum has been torching opponents in recent weeks, not just in scoring, but with his overall play.
Over his last 10 games, the St Louis native is averaging 25.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on 47.7% from the field and 33.3% from deep. Sure, Tatum’s three-point shot has been an issue for him all year, but the All-Star wing is finding other ways to help his team, such as driving hard to the hoop or stepping into a playmaking role.
Jayson Tatum on whether this streak is validating: “I’mma tell y’all I told you so when we win a championship one day. But until then, anything less than that is just the process of getting there.”
We can also be confident that Tatum’s three-point shooting slump won’t last forever, after all, this is the same player who is averaging 38% on threes for his career. You don’t forget how to be an elite shooter. Sometimes, you simply go through a rough patch.
However, Tatum’s poor three-point shooting hasn’t stopped him from being named to this year’s All-Star team, nor did it stop the Brooklyn Nets star player, Kevin Durant, from drafting the rising superstar to his team for the event. Furthermore, Tatum’s current uptick in form has directly coincided with Boston’s recent win streak, which has left fans excited about the team’s chances of rising up the Eastern Conference standings in the coming weeks.