Jayson Tatum endured a difficult summer. Shortly after being named to his third consecutive All-NBA First Team and winning his first NBA championship with the Boston Celtics, he found himself eating humble pie.
Tatum had traveled to Paris with Team USA for the 2024 Olympics. Despite being a core part of the 2020 Gold Medal team, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had different ideas for his second Olympic tournament. Tatum didn’t play in either game against Serbia. Furthermore, he was consigned to a deep bench role for most of the tournament.
During his time in Paris, the media also questioned Tatum’s credentials as a superstar-level talent. He struggled shooting from the perimeter throughout the playoffs. Nevertheless, it appears Tatum used those experiences as fuel during the opening months of the new season.
According to Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade, Tatum’s summer experiences have blessed the Celtics. He noted that the St. Louis native has been playing with a chip on his shoulder all season.
“I think the best thing to happen to Boston was after winning the championship that everything that happened to Jayson Tatum,” Wade said via his “Evolution” podcast. “It wasn’t a good thing for him personally and individually. But for them coming back into this season, the chip on his shoulder and his teammates’ shoulder is there. …I love Boston because of that.”
Wade continued.
“And also because of the level that he’s at. Jaylen Brown is gonna stay at the level that he’s at. Even though these guys have found a way to stay together, they’re still competitive. He’s got Finals MVP. I want one! Like, I love you, bro, but I don’t want you to get all of ’em. I’m going for the next one.”
Celtics Jayson Tatum is Fourth in MVP Voting
According to ESPN’s annual straw poll, released on Friday, Dec. 20, Tatum is currently fourth in the MVP race. He’s behind Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who are first, second and third, respectively.
Tatum plays on arguably the deepest team in the NBA. He doesn’t have to carry the type of scoring burden other star talents in the league do. Instead, he focuses on playing a complete game, empowering those around him to succeed.
Unfortunately, MVP voting is heavily based on offense, specifically the number of points a player averages. As such, Tatum is behind the eight-ball in the MVP race and will likely struggle to keep pace with other stars who have less depth around them.
“We’re a really, really good team, with so many talented players,” Tatum said during a recent news conference. “I’m probably not going to put up the same numbers as some of those other guys. That’s perfectly fine with me, especially what we did in June last year…That’s the main goal here, not for me to win MVP, but for us to play at a high level and compete for a championship year in and year out. If I accomplish that along the way, that would be amazing, but the main goal is for everybody to feel involved and to play a part in us doing something special.”
Jayson Tatum is a Top Five Player in The NBA
Tatum isn’t a swashbuckling star like Kyrie Irving or Ja Morant. And he isn’t a heliocentric scorer like Luka Doncic or James Harden. Instead, he’s a complete player, focusing on excelling across the board.
Last season, Tatum emerged as an elite point-forward, scorer, rebounder, playmaker, screener, passer, off-ball cutter and much more. His willingness to empower his teammates was a significant catalyst for the Celtics’ run to a championship title.
Unfortunately, in the world of TikTok highlights and barbershop debate shows, a complete player is often overlooked. Still, when you look at his overall value to Boston and how he is leading the best team in the NBA, it’s still clear that Tatum is a top-five talent in the NBA. And he will likely remain in the top five for the foreseeable future.
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Dwyane Wade’s Blunt Truth on Celtics’ Jayson Tatum