One of the things that we are always eager to anticipate every NBA season is guys breaking out of their shells and reaching a new level of play. We’ve witnessed a couple of exciting player developments this season, and among those is the rise of Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
The 2019-20 campaign presented a big challenge to the 22-year-old as he was expected to provide a solid uptick to his numbers and bounce back from a sophomore slump. The narrative was clear: Tatum, in his third season, had to continue to be a legit scorer and a more impactful presence on offense.
Tatum stepped up to the plate and answered the call. Right out of the gates, it was clear that he was going to be more assertive than in his two previous seasons. By late January, he was scoring over 21 PPG and helping Boston rank around the second and third seeds in the East.
For his efforts, Tatum earned a spot in the 2020 All-Star Game and got inserted under Team LeBron. It was a great honor for any player, and in a recent interview with NESN, he admitted that it was a particular obsession this season.
“Early in the season, I put so much pressure on myself mentally … I wanted us to be a really good team, but I also thought about making the All-Star Game every day... Every time I had a bad game I remember I would text (shooting coach) Drew (Hanlen) and I’d be like, ‘Drew, I don’t think I’m gonna make it anymore’ and he’d be like, ‘Bro, relax,’ … and then I would have a good game and I’d be like, ‘Bro, I think I’m gonna make it.’”
Jayson Tatum
The prestige and pride of joining the league’s stars eased his nerves, which then boosted his confidence in the court even further. It also jumpstarted a momentum that led to one of the best stretches any player has had this season.
“It was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders when I found out … And kind of ever since then I’ve just played a lot more relaxed and a lot more free, and I think that had a lot to do with it.”
Jayson Tatum
With Walker also out for a number of outings, Tatum went crazy on offense, racking up 30.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in February. It featured four 30-plus point performances that also had him shooting 60% or better – one where scored 39 on the stout LA Clippers defense, and another where he had 41 on the road and went toe-to-toe with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Additionally, the impressive numbers made him the fifth player in franchise history to finish a month averaging 30 or more points (min. 10 games) – joining Isaiah Thomas, Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, and John Havlicek. Through that period, he led the Celtics to a 9-3 record and became the East’s runaway winner for the Player of the Month award.
The level that Tatum has risen to this season and his continuous climb into superstardom is among the reasons why we’re itching to have NBA basketball back. He’s got all the makings of a classic superstar swingman, and it’s scary for defenses as he is also backed by a great coach like Brad Stevens, a talented set of teammates, and a front office that knows how to stockpile assets and build around his style.
