In a chat with former Celtics big man Brian Scalabrine, 26-year-old Jayson Tatum addressed the narrative that he’s a one-dimensional superstar. Tatum said he doesn’t blame the fans for this misconception but he wants them to know that there’s so much more to his game than scoring points every night.
“Everybody? No,” answered Jayson when asked if people see the nuances of his game. “It’s not to any fault of their own. People want to just see me score 35 every night, but there’s just so much more to the game of basketball, and so much more that I bring to the table. And that’s all I can do, I can’t force people to understand everything that I’m doing. I just go out there and play the game I love.”
Tatum, who spent a year at Duke University, has emerged as one of the NBA’s best young stars and he’s now in a position to win his first NBA championship. With averages of 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, the 6’8″ forward led the Celtics to the best record in the regular season and has followed it up with an impressive playoff run.
Throughout his career, there’s been a certain stigma with Tatum that he doesn’t shine as well as his peers when it comes to things like defense, rebounding, and passing. Over time, he’s been working to change the narrative so people see his game for what it really is.
We know that JT has ambitions of joining the ranks of the greatest Celtics ever but he still has some things to prove before he can rise to that status. This series against the Mavericks will be the most important of his young career and all the pressure will be on him to take care of business and make amends for their Finals loss in 2022.
LeBron James Reveals The Secret To The Celtics’ Success
There’s no doubt that the Celtics have talent and depth at every position and they can go toe-to-toe against any team on even their worst night. But when the Celtics really have it going, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (both drafted 3rd overall) are actively running the show while looking to get everyone else involved.
Speaking on his podcast, LeBron noted how the willingness of the Celtics players to accept their roles has allowed them to maximize each other’s game.
“They really only have two iso guys,” said James. “Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The rest of their guys do it off the pass. That’s their superpower. Once that ball gets to popping they have five guys around the perimeter that can all shoot the three… I don’t think they get enough credit for how they play the pass.”
This quote by LeBron illustrates the point Tatum was making. While he may not go off for 40 or 50-point games regularly, the way he gets everyone involved and handles all the little things on the court are just as important to win even if it’s much less noticeable.
In this series, Tatum will have his hands full keeping up with the Celtics offense and he’ll probably be guarding either PJ Washington or Derrick Jones Jr. from the start. Tatum, a 5x All-Star, will have to be nearly perfect to get his team over the edge but his team has been here before and they aren’t about to let another championship opportunity slip them by.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
