Boston Celtics: 3 challenges facing Jayson Tatum in 2020-21 NBA season
Coming off his first All-Star season with the Boston Celtics, here are three challenges facing Jayson Tatum in the 2020-21 NBA season.
Following his first NBA All-Star season and a max contract extension in the offseason, Jayson Tatum has cemented himself as the face of the Boston Celtics and a main reason fans should be excited about the team’s future.
Taking the mantle as Boston’s biggest sports star at the young age of 22, Tatum appears to be just scratching the surface of his potential in both what he does on the court and as a leader.
Coming off a season in which he averaged 23.4 points and 7.0 rebounds a game, could Jayson Tatum put himself in the conversation of MVP in the entire league?
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Well, if he is in consideration, that would mean big things for the Boston Celtics in the 2020-21 NBA season. Not only will it mean Tatum has taken yet another big step in his growth, but it will also mean the team has viable pieces around him contributing to his success.
But there will be challenges for a player as young as Jayson Tatum, three big challenges facing a player on the horizon of NBA superstardom.
Jayson Tatum has to continue to show he’s worth the money
The Boston Celtics came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, but it wasn’t due to a lack of production out of Jayson Tatum.
The Duke product was entering the playoffs in the NBA bubble with something to prove as far as a contract extension and he did just that. Averaging 25.7 points and 10.0 rebounds during the team’s 17-game playoff run, Tatum demonstrated he is a money player.
He must continue to show that during the 2020-21 NBA season, especially with the team entering the campaign without Kemba Walker, who is rehabbing an injury and Gordon Hayward who spurned the Celtics for the Charlotte Hornets during free agency.
Tatum, with the help of Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, will have to put the team on his shoulder early in the season, but he can’t try to do too much as tempting as it will be.
Balance will be a key and also doing the things to make his teammates better will be the sign of true super stardom. He showed that prior to the NBA shutdown and throughout the playoffs where he started to show off his playmaking skills.
A true money player doesn’t just score the basketball, they can also contribute in other ways that lead to team success.