Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics added another victory to their record on March 20 as the team made light work of the Denver Nuggets.
The Celtics now boast a 19-3 record over their last 22 games and are currently 3.5 games outside of the first seed as we enter the home stretch of the regular season. Jayson Tatum has been instrumental in the team’s current resurgence, especially since the All-Star break.
Tatum finding a new gear in the second half of the season is nothing new. It’s how the three-time All-Star has operated for the last three or four seasons, but he’s currently playing at a borderline MVP level and that certainly places him in unchartered territory.
Jayson Tatum just moved past Ray Allen into 3rd place on the Celtics’ all-time 3-point makes list.
1. Paul Pierce – 1,823
2. Antoine Walker – 937
3. Jayson Tatum – 799
4. Ray Allen – 798
5. Marcus Smart – 776
6. Jaylen Brown – 693
7. Larry Bird – 649
It’s that same level of play that’s allowed the St. Louis native to knock off another Celtics great on his way to re-writing Boston’s history books. With a first-half three-point shot that was reminiscent of Ray Allen, Tatum moved into third on the Celtics All-Time three-pointers list and now only trails Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce.
Tatum & Brown Finding Their Footing as a Duo
Whenever you discuss the Celtics roster construction, there’s always the narrative of whether Tatum and Jaylen Brown can play together. And no matter what camp you find yourself in, there’s a big enough body of work to prove your point.
Yet, in recent weeks, we’ve seen Brown embrace more of an off-ball role, and the partnership between the two stars has never looked more electric. If the pair can sustain this newfound gear, while continuing to play off of one another, the Celtics will be a tough opponent in the playoffs.
“JB has been to three conference finals, I’ve been to two. I think we’re both still very far from our prime. I think what people don’t understand is, you want to break us up, the grass is not always greener.
There are not a lot of guys in the NBA like JB. Or if you want to get rid of me, not to toot my own horn, I think I’m one of the best players, so I couldn’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to have two of the best players that are under 25 on your team,” Tatum told JJ Redick in February when he featured on The Old Man and The Three podcast.
Twitter Reacts to Tatum’s Performance
Celtics Twitter is usually a harsh dose of reality. You can always gain insight into how general areas of the fanbase are feeling by venturing into the Twitterverse and having a good scroll through the comments sections of the app.
Yet, on March 20, Twitter was united in it’s praise for Tatum, who continues to impressive with both his scoring and playmaking.
Jayson Tatum should be First Team All-NBA!
Jayson Tatum is getting MVP chants, on the road, IN DENVER, in the arena Nikola Jokic calls home.
“Still thinking about how Jayson Tatum was getting MVP chants on the road in the arena where the reigning MVP plays home games,” @ByAlFrancisco wrote on Twitter.
Jayson Tatum 1st Team All NBA
“Jayson Tatum is playing at the highest level a Celtic has played at since Paul Pierce and KG in 2008. Over Kyrie, over IT4. He’s that f****** good,” @PlayoffJays_ sounded off.
“Jayson Tatum is better than your favorite player,” @DanteOnDeck Tweeted.
JAYSON TATUM IS DOING JAYSON TATUM THINGS AGAIN
It’s fair to assume that Tatum is still multiple years away from his prime, and while MVP chants may be a little premature, the calls for him to be recognized with a first-team All-NBA nod seem quite reasonable.
Of course, Tatum will have stern opposition from players such as Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks – but that’s the company Tatum now finds himself mentioned amongst, and that’s a compliment within itself.