NBA's Halloween Horror: Jayson Tatum Just Keeps Getting Better

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Post by bobheckler Sun Oct 21, 2018 5:37 am

https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/post-102018-nbas-halloween-horror-jayson-tatum-just-keeps-getting-better




NBA's Halloween Horror: Jayson Tatum Just Keeps Getting Better



By Marc D'Amico |  @Marc_DAmico
Celtics.com
October 21, 2018




NEW YORK – How can a 20-year-old be this good at basketball?

Jayson Tatum is incomparable.

Boston’s second-year forward has followed up a historic postseason run with an electric start to the 2018-19 season, one that was buoyed by Saturday night’s dominance at Madison Square Garden. Tatum recorded the most impressive stat line of his career, a monster double-double that consisted of 24 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, to lead Boston to a 103-101 win over the New York Knicks.

Tatum scored six of his points during the final minute of the game to seal Boston’s victory. First came a resounding slam dunk, and then came a tantalizing fadeaway jumper after Tatum summoned his inner Kobe Bryant.

Tatum idolized Kobe while growing up, and he trained with him this past offseason. He may be only 20 years of age, but the youngster is already eliciting comparisons to the greatness of his idol.

Said teammate Marcus Morris, “He’s carving his name into this league.”

Many saw this greatness budding last postseason, when Tatum averaged 18.5 points per game to lead the Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The scary thing is that through three games, he has been significantly more dominant than he was during that run.

Tatum carries averages of 21.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game into the second week of the NBA season. His scoring average is up 7.1 PPG over last season’s, and his rebounding average has more than doubled from last season’s average of 5.0 RPG.

And perhaps most noteworthy, as the Knicks learned Saturday night, Tatum is already finding comfort in the tightest moments the NBA has to offer.

“A lot more comfortable than I would have last year,” he said of his poise during Saturday’s crunch time. “I think it just gets easier with time as you play more games.”

It really couldn’t look much easier for a guy his age.

Tatum is playing with great efficiency at the offensive end of the court, but as an added bonus, he has given Boston a sizable boost in the rebounding department this season. Tatum has hauled in at least nine rebounds during all three of Boston’s games, highlighted by his 14 boards Saturday night. In comparison, he grabbed nine or more rebounds only six times all of last season. Tatum currently leads the team, and by a wide margin, with his average of 10.7 rebounds per game.

He pointed out that such numbers are by no means a coincidence.

“That’s just been a big focus,” he told Celtics.com of his rebounding. “Sometimes we play small, so everybody has to rebound. Just trying to be better than I was last year, especially at that.”

Tatum elaborated on how, exactly, he has become such a prominent force on the glass.

“Not leaking out as much, just trying to be more aggressive,” he said. “(Aron) Baynes and Al (Horford) do a great job of boxing out the big guys, so I just come in and grab the ball.”

Credit Danny Ainge and his staff for seeing this type of rebounding potential in Tatum’s game well before the C’s selected him with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Brad Stevens commented Saturday night that Ainge regularly highlighted Tatum’s defensive rebounding ability during the evaluation process.

Fast-forward to 16 months after Boston hit its home run on Draft night, and Tatum is not only the team’s best rebounder, but he also currently stands as the team’s most prolific scorer.

In the history of the NBA, how many second-year 20-year-olds on championship contenders have been able to make such claims?

It's still very early, but Tatum may very well wind up on that list all by himself.



bob
MY NOTE:  Their trick, our treat. Was Pierce this good this early in his career, his sophomore year?  No, and Pierce was 22 years old in his sophomore year, Jayson is still just 20.  Think about that.  Two years younger and looking better than one of the all-time great Celtics and future HOFer Paul Pierce (CAVEAT:  we are only two games in).  Even if Tatum's production falls off as Irving's and Hayward's ramp up he can still be compared to Pierce and he will still be 2 years younger.


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Post by dboss Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:42 am

Tatum appears to be on a rocket ship to stardom.

I think he can continue to put up big numbers even when Hayward becomes more of an offensive factor. Keep in mind that Hayward has been a very efficient scorer. He has never been a volume shooter. His last year in Utah resulted in him taking only 15.8 FGA. That was a career high for him.

We want our best scorers to get the most shots.

The Celtics have a lot of offensive weapons. The team will figure stuff out.
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Post by cowens/oldschool Sun Oct 21, 2018 12:12 pm

He’s also better than Kobe at comparable ages....

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Post by cowens/oldschool Sun Oct 21, 2018 12:14 pm

Love the way he’s rebounding too

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Post by bobheckler Sun Oct 21, 2018 12:44 pm

cowens/oldschool wrote:Love the way he’s rebounding too


Cow,

10.7 reb/game so far.  Pierce, in his sophomore season, 5.4 reb/game.


bob


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Post by cowens/oldschool Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:03 pm

Bob it’s early, but Tatum has more length and athleticism than Pierce, and gets to play the 4 in a lot of lineups. Great signs all the way.

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Post by worcester Mon Oct 22, 2018 11:41 am

We should be comparing Tatum to Fultz plus the Sacto 2019 draft pick to gauge Danny's acumen in full measure. Is this bigger than the Dallas trade of Herschel Walker to Minny? I'd say, yes.
Can anyone come up with a bigger trade?

Come to think of it, Red's trade for the Chief and Kevin probably tops even this Tatum trade, but let's wait to see who Danny gets next year from the Sacto pick.
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Post by bobheckler Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:20 pm

Abby Chin @tvabby
about 42 minutes ago
Favorite stat so far per Dick Lipe: Jayson Tatum: With 63 points and 32 rebounds - 1st Celtic with 60+ points and 30+ rebounds in season’s 1st 3 games since Garnett in 2007-08 (68p, 45r)… before that, have to go back to Pierce and Bird. #Celtics @nbcsboston


bob
MY NOTE:  Slicing the statistical bologna a bit thin perhaps, only three games, but an impressive start is an impressive start.

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Post by wideclyde Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:44 pm

I have very much liked Tatum's play early in our new season.

One of his goals during the summer was to get stronger, and I think that many of the things he is doing now have to do with his added strength. Playing a game against grown men is much easier when you yourself are closer to their strength levels.

Strength also adds to confidence, and the great thing is that he is not anywhere near done gaining physical strength as he is not even yet 21 years old. He also may not be done growing taller either. He may be 6'10 by the time he reaches his 22nd birthday and will be a rock solid and still looking skinny 230-240 when he reaches 25 and has his full "man" strength levels.

If you cannot stop him now, watch out in a couple of more seasons.

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