Boston Celtics: The 5 players walking through that door in 2018
Jayson Tatum out to prove rookie season was no fluke
In 2017-18, Jayson Tatum further solidified Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge as a genius.
Selection No. 3 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft after the team swapped picks with the Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum proved he was worthy of the No. 1 overall selection.
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Thrown into the heat after Gordon Hayward went down, Jayson Tatum scored 13.9 points over 80 games. He not only showed flashes of scoring dominance, he showed the type of maturity that impressed NBA legends like Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant.
Ironically, Tatum has drawn comparisons to those two players with his ability to create his own shot off the dribble. He took that combination of skills to another level in the NBA playoffs.
As one of the team’s most consistent scorers in the playoffs, averaging 18.5 points in 19 games played, Jayson Tatum did not back down from LeBron James. The lasting impression of the NBA Rookie of the Year finalist was his dunk on LeBron. It looked like a coming of age moment for a young player already leaping into stardom.
Related Story. Three regular season goals for Jayson Tatum in 2018. light
While there is a chance Tatum could see his minutes decrease this upcoming season, he should be even better in his sophomore season. Working out with a player such as Kobe Bryant can only make him better mentally and help him grow as a player.
"“The overall experience of interacting with him on a personal level-he’s my all-time favorite player – that really meant a lot to me,” Tatum said of working out with Kobe. “There were a few things he showed here and there that can help make it easier for me. But just being around him. His mindset that he had going into each year, just to always improve and not backtrack and get better each season as he wanted to continue to grow as a player.”"
Working on is his physical game is also something Jayson Tatum has been committed on working on over the summer. A stronger, more physical Tatum will certainly make him a tougher player to deal with.