Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Nobody is surprised that Jayson Tatum has been the key driving force behind the Boston Celtics‘ mid-season resurgence.
It’s long been postulated that Tatum holds the keys to any future success the Celtics will have, at least in the short-to-mid term. That’s the type of expectations placed on your shoulders when you’re a borderline top-10 talent in the NBA, with multiple years of development left before you reach your peak.
Of course, one star on their own doesn’t equate to a contending team, but without said star, you don’t stand a chance. Luckily for Boston, they have two elite players in Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and if the fanbase had anything to say about it, the Celtics would look to add a third star during the off-season.
“You are the face of this league, bro”
—@RealDealBeal23 to @Money23Green about @jaytatum0
Bradley Beal has long been a pipe-dream for Boston fans, primarily due to his relationship with Tatum, but also because of his scoring ability as both an on-ball and off-ball threat. But, according to Beal, the Celtics already have a player better than him on their roster, a player who he believes is destined to take the crown as “The Face” of the NBA.
“I would always tell Jayson when he was younger, you’re going to be a million times better than me, a million. And to see it happening as fast as it is, is really crazy. But I always tell Jayson, you have the opportunity to be the face of this league, don’t shy away from it,” Beal said on Draymond Green’s podcast, “This is your league bro, your already playing at this elite level. You need to be in MVP talks every year because you have that ability. That’s his projection.”
Tatum Impressed Green on Team USA Duty
Jayson Tatum spent this past summer with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. The USA team ended up winning the gold medal after a difficult start to their preparations, and while Kevin Durant was widely considered to be the leader of that team, it was Tatum who made a lasting impression on the veterans in the squad
“On the USA team, KD was the guy. But you can see, next up is him. And there were games where KD would look to him like ‘hey man, come on now, you gotta take it now,’ and clockwork. I was like ‘yo, this dude’s got it, man,'” Green said during his podcast.
Jayson Tatum is a basketball addict… 💪
• NBA Bubble
• 2021 regular season & playoffs
• Team USA
• Summer runs
No days off.
Tatum ended that tournament averaging 15.2 points per game on 49.3% shooting from the field and 44.7% shooting from deep. The St. Louis native also pulled down 20 rebounds over his six games in Tokyo, giving him an average of 3.3 boards per game to go along with his 2.3 assists.
Tatum Playing at All-NBA Level in 2022
It’s a well-known fact that Tatum saves his best basketball for after the All-Star break, over the last three years his performances have notably improved in the second half of the season.
However, this year, Tatum has taken his game to new heights and is now playing at an All-NBA level. Since January 1, the 24-year-old is averaging 28.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game on 47.9% shooting from the field and 37.5% shooting from deep, per Basketball-Reference.
Nahhhg, Jayson Tatum is All NBA First Team AT LEAST! 💪#0☘
(Works Cited:@HoopsEmpire_ @SeanGrandePBP @statmuse 🙏 )
The Celtics are 28-9 since January 1 and are within touching distance of the Miami Heat, who currently owns the top spot in the Eastern Conference. While Tatum’s early-season slump may rule him out of any potential MVP conversation, he’s certainly deserving of an All-NBA first-team nod, and that will just be another step on the path towards superstardom.
Comments