Can Jayson Tatum become one of the 5 greatest players in Boston Celtics history?
Jayson Tatum is the face of the Boston Celtics, and it's possible that one day he could be considered one of the team's five greatest players of all time. Tatum, of course, has a long—very long—way to go before he can enter any "Celtics Legend" conversations. You can’t call someone a legend when they only have four NBA seasons under their belt.
The 6’8” forward was drafted by the Celtics third overall in the 2017 draft. He would go on to have a solid debut year, averaging nearly 14 points per game and earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.
Tatum has blossomed into a two-time All-Star since then and is one of the biggest stars in the game today. This past season, he averaged a career-best 26.4 points per game. He reached the 40-point mark four times, including a whopping 60 against the San Antonio Spurs in April. That tied Larry Bird’s franchise record for the most points in a single game for the Celtics.
During the first round of the playoffs, Tatum dropped 50 on Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in a Game 3 victory. Unfortunately, though, that was the lone win of the series for Boston. The 23-year-old youngster has a very bright future ahead of him and has what it takes to become an all-time Celtic great.
Who are the Boston Celtics' five greatest players of all time?
With an astounding 17 championships (tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in NBA history), the Boston Celtics are one of the most successful sports teams ever.
It seems like there have been millions of stars who’ve rocked the iconic green and white over the years. Names that come to mind are Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Bob Cousy and Dave Cowens. You can’t forget about guys like Dennis Johnson, Tom Heinsohn and the 1980s “Big Three” of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.
If you were to do a poll of the five greatest Celtics of all time, perhaps most fans would go with Russell, Bird, John Havlicek, McHale and Paul Pierce.
Russell is hands-down the greatest. The man won a ridiculous 11 championships, five more than what Michael Jordan has.
The sharpshooting Bird led the C’s to three titles and impressively collected three consecutive MVP awards.
Havlicek, the franchise’s career scoring leader, managed to earn eight championships during his memorable time in Beantown.
Then there’s McHale, easily one of the game’s best post scorers we’ve ever seen. The two-time Sixth Man of the Year picked up three rings.
Later on, perennial All-Star Pierce teamed up with fellow Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to power the Celtics to their most recent title in 2008.
What does Jayson Tatum need to accomplish?
To be viewed as a top-five Celtic down the road, Jayson Tatum certainly has a long road ahead. Surpassing a legend such as McHale or Pierce isn’t an easy task, that's for sure.
Tatum will need to have eight or nine more productive seasons with the team. And that might not happen, seeing that many players these days do not stay with the same team for long. Stars are always forcing trades and bolting town as free agents. But who knows, maybe he’ll wind up sticking around for years to come.
Tatum will probably have to win at least one championship. Let’s be real, how many Celtics legends haven’t won a ring?
The St. Louis native is a fantastic scorer, capable of an occasional 50 or even 60-point night. Tatum can also handle the rock and shoot; he shot 45.9% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc this past season.
Yet, he does have room for improvement in a couple of areas.
Tatum needs to draw contact more often and get to the foul line. This past year, he averaged only 5.3 free-throw attempts per game. Increasing those attempts will improve his scoring, especially since he’s an 84% free-throw shooter over his career.
He did, however, romp up his free-throw attempts to 9.8 during the playoff series versus Brooklyn. That allowed him to score almost 31 points a night. He needs to do that more consistently, though.
Tatum’s leadership skills could also use a bit of improvement. Back in April, he was criticized by NBA analyst and former Celtics player Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins also had this to say (via NBC Sports):
"When you look at all the other stars around the league, they compete, they compete, they compete. They don't have bad body language. They're enthusiastic. They're supporting their teammates. They're always talking to their teammates. And it's part of him I guess growing, but you've got to have that. You have to learn those leadership skills."
Perkins is right. Tatum must learn those leadership skills, as it could aid him in taking the next step to greatness. It remains to be seen whether No. 0 will ultimately be referred to as one of the five greatest players to ever wear Celtics green. We'll be watching.
Also read: Boston Celtics Depth Chart: How does Dennis Schroder fit in with the rest of Ime Udoka's men?