Jayson Tatum left a lot to be desired during the Boston Celtics' season-opening loss to the Detroit Pistons. He was still way too passive and almost played a little too selflessly, probably taking his point-forward role a little too seriously. And even when he did shoot, it wasn't pretty (13 points on 6-for-23 shooting, including 0-for-7 from deep, and he only shot one free throw).
But that completely changed against the New York Knicks on Friday night, and if this is the version of Tatum Celtics fans should expect moving forward, then there's a lot to be excited about.
Jayson Tatum was showed improved aggressiveness against the Knicks
In the win, the Duke alum scored a game-high 36 points (25 in the second half) on 14-for-26 shooting (including 3-for-10 from deep, which is... meh?). But he was also able to play the Tatum style he's known for, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out seven assists, and recording three steals. He also turned the ball over just twice in 37 minutes.
Tatum was also super clutch in the fourth quarter, scoring seven points in the final 90 seconds (New York as a team scored six points during that stretch) and securing the Celtics' first win of the season.
The most promising part of Tatum's performance on Friday is that it looked like he may have found the right balance between aggressiveness and passivity. He still moved the ball around, facilitated, made incredible reads, and played great team defense, but he also ran downhill, got to the basket more, and kept the ball to himself when he was in a groove (see: the final couple of minutes of the game.
In the first game of the season, the St. Louis native was probably at about 70% passivity, 30% aggressiveness. But against the Knicks, it was completely switched. Tatum played more selfishly in the best way possible. He was playing like this is his team, and that's because it is.
Jayson Tatum proved he can lead the Celtics as the No. 1 option
It's just one game, but Tatum showed a ton of flashes that Celtics fans should be happy about. He was more decisive in getting to the basket and getting his own shot up, which is something fans have been clamoring for for years.
He also did a better job of getting to the paint, which is incredibly important since Boston no longer has Jaylen Brown, who was excellent at running downhill and scoring near the basket. (On a related note, I wonder if it's going to be easier for Tatum to find his rhythm and be more decisive because he doesn't have the Brown "crutch" anymore. He knows it's probably about 90% up to him to generate points for the Celtics.)
Nobody was asking Tatum to stop passing the ball or getting his teammates involved to just focus on scoring as much as he can. The truth is, that's a big element of his game, and it's a major reason why he's fit to be Boston's leader; he can do it all. But many were begging for him to consistently play like he's the Celtics' leader and the best player on the court without losing what makes him special.
And if his performance against New York was any indication, then fans are about to get their wish.
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