Getty Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
A slow start to the Boston Celtics‘ season has seen Jayson Tatum come in for an unusual amount of criticism.
Recent lines of questioning have ranged from whether he and Jaylen Brown can co-exist as the two stars on a contending team to rumblings about Tatum’s ability to lead a team and celebrate in others’ success.
Of course, when you start the season shooting just 39.6% from the field and 32.5% from three over your first ten games, you’re going to face some harsh lines of questioning. However, it would seem that Tatum’s questions go beyond his on-court production, shifting the focus to his personality.
In a recent article for ESPN, NBA insider Tim Bontemps surveyed multiple sources around the league for their opinion on Tatum and how if he can be the guy to lead Boston to their 18th championship.
“Jayson Tatum is about Jayson Tatum,” one of the sources quoted by Bontemps said, “I don’t think he cares about winning now, and if he does, it is on his terms.”
The narrative that Tatum is a selfish player isn’t new; there have been rumblings surrounding his mentality for as long as he’s been in the league. Unfortunately, when you’re an exceptional isolation player, people will perceive you a certain way. When you’re isolating an average of five times per game, you’re adding fuel to the speculative fire.
Tatum Unaffected by Outside Opinions
Speaking to the media following the Celtics loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday, December 4th, Tatum cut a jovial figure when the subject got onto his reaction towards the latest claims of selfishness.
“I think when people get upset, or you get a reaction out of somebody, it’s probably because they feel like it’s kind of true. But I just laughed because I know it’s not true. I know my teammates, my coaches, anybody I’ve ever been around; selfish is the last thing,” Tatum said.
Tatum’s selfish narrative is also inherently flawed from a statistical standpoint, with Basketball-Reference tracking the All-Star wing’s assists at 4.2 per game over his last 10 outings, one of those being a 10 assist night against the Toronto Raptors. Furthermore, Tatum currently sits in the 86th percentile among wings for assist percentage, teeing up his teammates on 18% of their made baskets while he’s on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass.
Sure, Tatum is prone to a spell or hero-ball here or there, but all elite scorers have that type of self-belief. It’s what makes them so dominant in the first place. Luckily, Tatum understands that this level of criticism comes with the territory of being the star player on a historic franchise such as the Celtics.
“When you’re in the position that I’m in, a lot of people have a lot of things to say about you. You take it with a grain of salt, and you move on,” Tatum told the media.
Brad Stevens Sounds Off: ‘This Is Idiotic’
Speaking to Toucher and Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens made his feelings on the anonymous quotes known.
“There is no way that assistant coach would put his name on that quote because, first of all, he has never been around Jayson. And, secondly, Jayson would kill him every time he played him for the rest of his career. That’s the way those guys in this league are wired,” Stevens said.
Stevens, who coached Tatum for his first four years in the league, is uniquely placed to comment on the All-Star’s level of competitiveness. Not only has Stevens seen the development first hand, but now in a front-office role, he has gauged Tatum’s value league-wide. As such, you can feel confident in believing in Stevens’ opinion on a player he helped develop into a budding superstar.
“He’s sitting there with his feet in the ice bucket after every game that we lose, and he looks despondent. This guy’s competitive. I know that for a fact. I’m glad he’s on our team,” Stevens explained.
As Boston continues its grueling West Coast road trip, Tatum and the Celtics will be back in action on Tuesday, December 7th, when they take on their fierce rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.