Jayson Tatum has been loving life as a member of the Boston Celtics, but in the lead-up to the 2017 NBA Draft, they really weren’t a team that he wanted to go to.
“First of all, I didn’t even want to come because I didn’t think I was going to play,” Tatum said. “They had Gordon (Hayward), (Jaylen Brown), Isaiah Thomas, and (Marcus) Smart, and I didn’t think I was good enough to be on that team.”
(starts at 0:18 mark):
"First of all, I didn't even want to come (to Boston) because I didn't think I was going to play. They had Gordon, JB, IT, Smart, I didn't think I was good enough to be on that team."
Jayson Tatum asked about getting drafted in Barclays Center back in 2017 pic.twitter.com/7VvLi0Sw3W
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 5, 2023
The Celtics were loaded with talent in 2017 and were coming off a season where they’d won over 50 games. Tatum would have rightly felt it wasn’t the place for him to be.
For his development, he needed to go to a rebuilding team where he’d not only get to play but also make mistakes and learn from them to get better. There was going to be a lot of pressure and competition for places when playing for a contender like the Celtics, and it might not have been ideal for a teenager.
Jayson Tatum’s Rookie Season
While Tatum might have been worried about whether he was good enough to get a big role, the Celtics had no such concerns about him. After selecting him with the third pick, they inserted him into the starting lineup right away, and he’d go on to have a fine rookie season.
Tatum averaged 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, to make the NBA All-Rookie First Team. While that was impressive, the best was yet to come, as he would end up playing even better in the postseason.
In the 2018 playoffs, Tatum led the way, as Boston made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Along the way, he became the first-ever Celtics rookie to score at least 20 points in seven straight playoff games.
He also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only rookies to record at least 10 games of 20 or more points in their first playoff runs. Tatum’s averages in his first playoff run would end up being 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.
Will The Celtics Finally Get Over The Line In 2023-24?
For all that Tatum did in the playoffs as a rookie, he and the Celtics ultimately lost in seven games to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals. Still, many came away from that series thinking it was only a matter of time before Tatum led the Celtics to glory, but it hasn’t happened yet.
They have been one of the best teams in the league since he arrived, but have failed in their quest to win it all. The Celtics have lost in the Conference Finals thrice and once in the NBA Finals during Tatum’s time there, but hope is growing that this will be the season when they get over the line.
The Celtics made some big moves by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason, and they have had an incredible start to this campaign. They are the only unbeaten team left in the league, boasting a 5-0 record.
While it has been a total team effort, Tatum has been the one leading the charge. He is off to a terrific start, with averages of 30.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
He is as desperate as anyone on the team to win that elusive title and I would give them a great chance. I’d still have teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets ahead of them, but the Celtics are certainly capable of beating those teams.
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