Jayson Tatum's time to shine
The growth that Jayson has shown in one NBA season has been nothing short of phenomenal, chipping in with efficient performances and leading the Celtics in the absence of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to the Eastern Conference Finals. In game 7 vs the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tatum pulled off something most players can't even think of.
The 20-year-old Rookie posterized LeBron James and then bumped him, announcing his arrival to the basketball world. When asked about it later he said "I don’t know why I yelled and bumped him, “But I’m glad I did. I will always remember that. But I was running back on defense like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I couldn’t believe what I just did.”
After being drafted 3rd overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2017 NBA draft, Tatum impressed right away in the NBA Summer League, his minutes in his rookie season were expected to be limited but an injury to Gordon Hayward on the opening night of the 2017-18 NBA season opened up many opportunities for Tatum.
Tatum took the league by storm in his rookie season, shooting 43% from three and averaging 13.9 points, 5 rebounds per game in the regular season, becoming one of the most important scoring options for the Celtics, almost leading them to the NBA Finals before falling short to the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James. He drew comparisons with Celtics legend Paul Pierce.
Tatum had a busy offseason, taking a trip to China with Nike and having his high school jersey retired with Chaminade, he was expected to improve aspects of his game during the offseason.
Even with the return of Gordon Hayward, big things were expected from Tatum and he hasn't disappointed so far, leading the scoring chart for his team in all the three games that they have won, at the moment Tatum looks the Celtic's best player and an All-Star game appearance soon doesn't look out of question.
The fact that this season he has been the star man of a team which has Kyrie Irving speaks for itself. All three of his 20+ point performances have resulted in wins for the Celtics, He continues to do so with remarkable efficiency, continuing from where he left off last season.
After an impressive Rookie season, Tatum now looks bigger and better, He looks more comfortable and relaxed than last season, there are still improvements to be made to his game but if the 20-year old continues to grow the way he has been till now, he has all the attributes to become a bonafide NBA star, sky is the limit for this kid.