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Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum is going to be a superstar

By Sam Minton

BOSTON, MA - MAY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 87-79 in Game Seven of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the 2018 NBA Finals at TD Garden on May 27, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 87-79 in Game Seven of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the 2018 NBA Finals at TD Garden on May 27, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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The Eastern Conference Finals may have ended in heartbreak for the Boston Celtics, but there is still some positives to be taken away from the series, one major takeaway is that Jayson Tatum is going to be one hell of a player.

The Boston Celtics gave it their all, but they were unable to dethrone the king as Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the NBA Finals. It was a punch to the gut, but there is still some reason to smile as the dust settles. Jayson Tatum proved that he is ready to be a superstar.

In his first postseason Tatum made his mark. In the regular season Tatum averaged 13.9 points a game, but in the postseason he was an entirely different animal. Tatum averaged 18 points and 4 rebounds a game.

Tatum also continued to be an efficient scorer. In the regular season Tatum boasted a shooting percentage of 47% that number was repeated in the playoffs.

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These numbers may seem ordinary, but this is where it gets interesting. Tatum scored 351 points this postseason, that number is one point shy of Lew Alcindor’s (or as he is now known by Kareem Abdul Jabbar) rookie record for total points in the postseason. Also Tatum became the first rookie since Kareem to score 20 points or more in 10 games.

Clearly, Tatum is going to be a star in the NBA. You don’t just put up those numbers and just fizzle out.

A “royal” compliment

Tatum went toe-to-toe with the best player in the NBA. He even put Lebron on a poster.

After game 7 ended James made a point to go talk to the rookie and it appears that Tatum has earned James respect.

"“I just love everything about the kid, the way he plays the game, his demeanor, where he comes from,” James said. “I just know he’s built for stardom. He’s built for success. And that’s both on and off the floor.”"

That is quite the compliment seeing that James is Tatum’s idol. As a kid, Tatum went to Lebron’s summer camps and Tatum felt very honored that James spoke to him after the game.

"“That was a special moment for me,” Tatum said. “It’s my first year in the league. I grew up watching LeBron and asking him to follow me back on Twitter, going to his camps. So just to be able to compete against a player like him and be a few shots away from beating him and his team to go to a championship is something I will always remember.”"

Related Story: The growing legend of Jayson Tatum

What will the future hold?

It is amazing to think that this is only Tatum’s first year in the league. He just does everything so easily. It is like he is 10-year-veteran. The spotlight doesn’t seem to phase him. Just imagine how great of a player Tatum can become. He hasn’t even scratched the surface yet. He will probably have an expanded role next season as I would expect him to be in the starting lineup. If not he would be the 6th man in the Celtics rotation.

Brad Stevens is very excited to see what the future holds for Tatum.

"“He can get a lot better. That’s the fun part,” Stevens said. “I think there are so many little things that he’ll continue to improve upon, but he’s not afraid. He’s tough-minded and obviously has a special talent for putting the ball in the basket… Training camp can’t come soon enough,” Stevens said. “Those will be some fun practices, I’m pretty sure.”"

Next: 4 storylines that defined a memorable 2017-18 Celtics season

Jayson Tatum is on his way to being one of the best players in the NBA. The Boston Celtics are going to be the favorites in the East for the foreseeable future and Jayson Tatum will be one of the reasons that the C’s strike fear in opponents the moment they step on the floor.

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