Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum has found his name in MVP conversations recently, in large part due to his performances during the Boston Celtics mid-season turnaround.
Tatum has often been discussed as a potential top-five or top-ten talent once he reaches his prime, and those types of players are usually vying for the NBA’s most prestigious individual award.
However, it’s only been during the second half of the current season that Tatum has begun to prove he belongs in those conversations. In fact, the St Louis native’s recent performances have even resulted in fans chanting ‘MVP’ from the stands – at both home and away games.
Unfortunately, the 24-year-old’s slow start to the season has probably ruled him out of a legitimate chance of MVP contention this year, leading many to believe he will be a front-runner next season.
Speaking to Draymond Green in a recent podcast episode, the Golden State Warriors let Tatum know that next season is the year that the six-foot-ten wing has to prove himself to the world, “If you don’t get MVP next year, you’re weak as f***.”
Tatum Warned Embiid He Wants MVP Next Season
Tatum has never been one to shy away from the limelight and has always been willing to discuss his place within the league’s hierarchy. But, it’s usually easy to discuss your standing amongst your peers when you’re constantly climbing the rankings.
He knows he’s an MVP caliber player, and he knows he’s the face of the Celtics franchise. You need a certain level of self-confidence to reach the loft heights of being named an All-Star, and the Celtics’ star wing has never been one to lack in self-belief.
Jayson Tatum is No. 5 on ESPN’s latest MVP Straw Poll after being previously unranked
Current top 10 (previous ranking)
1. Jokic (2)
2. Embiid (1)
3. Giannis (3)
4. Morant (6)
5. Tatum (N/R)
6. Luka (9)
7. Booker (T-10)
8. Curry (4)
9. Durant (8)
10. Chris Paul (5)
So, when it was revealed that Tatum recently warned Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid about next season’s MVP trophy, nobody was shocked.
“I was speaking to Drew Hanlen, Tatum’s longtime trainer, the other day. He said he was with Joel Embiid when Tatum called him and before they got off the call Tatum said to Embiid, ‘You better win the MVP this year because I’m gonna get it next year,” Chris Mannix reported on a recent NBC Sports Boston broadcast.
Tatum Looking Forward to a Full Summer Off-Season
At the end of last season, Tatum afforded himself no rest and quickly joined up with Team USA ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Of course, playing alongside so many elite players is going to be beneficial for your overall game – from a preparation standpoint, development standpoint, and mentality standpoint.
But, while Tatum came home with an Olympic gold medal around his neck, the competition meant that the rising star had gone over two years without a full off-season, and the fatigue was obvious during the opening months of the season.
Now, with no plans beyond the playoffs, the Celtics star is looking forward to getting into the lab and working on his game over the upcoming off-season.
” I think this is going to be my first kind of full summer since I’ve been in the league. I played on the FIBA team in 2019 and got injured. Then 2020 comes around and COVID hit, and that was the shortest offseason in NBA history. Last year, we were in training camp with USA while the season was still going on. It’s always been something,” Tatum told Draymond Green, “I’ll handle this season first, but this offseason coming up is something I’m really, really looking forward to.”
So, with a full summer to develop his game, and an entire training camp to continue acclimating to Ime Udoka’s ways, Tatum has his eyes set on the biggest prizes of them all next year. And if there’s one player talented enough to lead the Celtics back to the promised land, it’s the kid from St Louis who has grown his game every year since entering the league.